


A Hobbit in Ered Luin

by Emimar



Series: A Hobbit In Ered Luin [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-07 10:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 77
Words: 56,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1119030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emimar/pseuds/Emimar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my first foray into fan fiction for a number of years. (and possibly the first ever serious attempt at writing canon characters). It has also been posted on theforce.net.</p><p>Author: Space_Wolf<br/>Title: A Hobbit in Ered Luin<br/>Fandom: The Hobbit, LOTR<br/>Characters: Thorin's Company, other dwarves, original characters.<br/>Timeframe: A year or so before the events of The Hobbit<br/>Summary: Two journals/diaries from the point of view of Hilda Greenhill, a Hobbit, (the original character) and Kili the Dwarf.<br/>Notes: Written in response to the Force.net's Dear Diary Challenge. </p><p>The "canon" in the story will be a mixture of Tolkien’s work, Peter Jackson's version of the Hobbit, and any other snippets I find relating to official game releases, etc. Any mistakes or misinterpretations of this material are my own (and most likely the result of sloppy researching....).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 1st entry.

10th Afteryule, 2940

The Dwarves' Yuletide celebration lasted for twelve days. These dwarves sure know how to party. I awoke in Thorin's mead hall to find that the dwarves were still slumbering in various places around the hall. The empty barrels and overturned tankards a testament to the revelry With a pounding in my head, I got up and ventured outside, my sheepdog Trotter on my heals. I really did need the fresh air. The cold mountain air did help to clear my head. The dwarf named Ori gave me this journal to record my thoughts in. To explain what I am doing here, I will have to back track a few weeks, to when my tale begins.

The 7th of Foreyule 2939 will be a date that will haunt me until the end of my days.

The day started out like any other. My mother was busy in the kitchen preparing food for the workers, My father, my two brothers and myself. My father and eldest brother, Siegfried were going to fix the dry-stone wall that needed repairing. It was an important job, because the wall surrounded the sty which housed the farm's bad tempered old boar. In its current state, it did little to stop the old boar from getting in to the vegetable patch. My younger brother, Tristan had gone to see the draught horse we kept for heavy work around the farm.

I had gone out with our sheepdog, Trotter to check on the sheep out in the far field. With winter coming on, the weather had been getting worse of late, and my task was to bring them down to a field closer to the house which also had shed we could use to shelter them from the snows of winter. Looking back now, it is difficult to believe that a day which had started out so ordinary would turn out to be the day that the worst thing that could happen to a young hobbit lass occurred.

Even before I had made my way out of the herb garden by the back door, I was greeted with a blast of cold air which seemed to cut through the travelling cloak to my bones. Trotter turned to look at me like he didn't want go any further. This surprised me somewhat because he usually had much enthusiasm for hi s work. I was glad that I'd had the foresight to wrap up before coming out of the house.

Our farm lay in the foothills to the south of the Blue Mountains, and I could see the snow clouds from some distance away that would soon be upon the farm. The sky had that look it get when it Is laden with clouds heavy with snow, and I made up my mind that I wouldn't stay out longer than I needed to - herd the sheep down the hillside and into the field that we had marked out for them, ensure that there was adequate straw for bedding, fodder and water for them in the shed and go back to the house.

Of course, at that point, I had no knowledge that there were worse things out in the fields than a snow storm.

It took me about an hour to get to the far field. Our farm was big because we needed enough land that could support our sheep herd, the five pigs and the small herd of ten shaggy haired cattle that we kept. The cattle were already in the main barn, having been brought in by my brothers and Trotter the day before. The four sows we kept were in a fenced enclosure in the deciduous copse on the west side of the farm. We also had a fowl coop at the bottom of the herb garden - my mother usually looked after those.

Trotter bounded ahead of me, and the first indication that something was wrong was when he started pawing at a hump on the ground. When I got closer, I realised what it was. A sheep, with its guts ripped out. Wolves? Was my immediate thought. Not those marauding beasts that it are said to ally themselves with orcs, but ordinary wolves, those that are the wild kin to Trotter's kind. It would not have surprised me. The winter weather would have made them bold, lean and hungry. Stray dogs was my other thought.

As I passed the first dead sheep, I looked around, alert for more, and there were more humps on the ground. It appeared that the entire herd was down, either killed in the manner of the first sheep Trotter and I found, or collapsed from the stress of being chased. When I approached one that had collapsed, I could see that it was still alive, but it expired its last breath before my eyes.

I searched, because I wanted to make sure that there were no survivors. If there were, my father would have wanted me bring them back to the farm, but it was hopeless. They had been left out too long. I searched until the cold had penetrated my flesh so deeply that I could no longer feel it, and my hands and feet were numb beyond feeling.

There were none alive that I could see, and even if there had been, I doubted that it would be alive for long. The herd was gone. I called to Trotter and started to walk back down the hill. With a whine and his tail tucked between his legs, looking every bit as miserable and cold as I felt, he followed.

It was at that point that the snow began to fall.


	2. Kili's Journal, 1st Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

Kili's Journal, 1st Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

I am writing this as the effects of the Yule celebration are wearing off. Ori decided that he would give me a journal as a Yule gift. I would have preferred something more practical but Balin and my mother advised me that if I am to be of help to Fili when he inherits the city from Uncle Thorin that I must learn to keep good records. I thought that was Ori's job? I am no scribe! Still, I suppose this journal is not as bad as the gifts that Ori's mother gave to all the dwarves of Uncle Thorin's inner circle. She gave everyone a knitted scarf. The colour of mine, blue, is not too bad, but the ones she gave to some of the other dwarves are hideous.

We had an extra guest, this year, a Hobbit woman we had rescued some weeks before. At the beginning of the month which hobbits call Foreyule, we had received reports of an orc pack that was causing trouble in the area, so Uncle Thorin organised a group of us to investigate. The group consisted of Uncle Thorin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili and myself. Mother was not pleased about Fili and I accompanying the group, but the other dwarves who could have gone had business elsewhere and were late coming home. Uncle Thorin said that Fili and I needed to gain some experience dealing with orcs and overruled Mother's objections to us going. Gimli had been keen to go, but his mother refused him permission to go. Balin stayed behind to deal with the business that Uncle Thorin had broken off to deal with the orcs.

We had been tracking the orc pack for five days when we came upon the hobbit farm that they had raided. The farm was known to the dwarves, as we had traded with them in the past, so it was with great sadness and anger to discover what had happened. We found the bodies of two of the hobbits, both men, one middle aged, the other young, by a dry-stone wall with a dead pig nearby. They had attempted to defend themselves, but failed. How can you hope to fight off orcs and wargs with nothing but a walling hammer, a crowbar and a spade to fight them off with? Still, I have to admire their bravery.

We found another hobbit man, around the same age as the young hobbit lying near a burnt out stable. The horse must have bolted, for we found no sign of a dead horse and there were hoof prints leading away from the stable.

By the farmhouse, a structure built in the traditional hobbit style with round doors and windows, but was not built into the hillside, we found the body of a middle aged hobbit woman.

"We're too late," Uncle Thorin said, his voice heavy with regret.

"They had a wee lassie with them," said Bofur.

"Spread out and look. She could live still," said Uncle Thorin.

Fili and I found the horse in the field near the patch of woodland. We were reluctant to go among the trees, especially as we had no idea if the orc pack was still in the area. I had my bow ready, just in case. Fili was able to coax the horse into moving. The horse was skittish and difficult to handle, but calmed down somewhat when we brought it to where we had left the ponies.

"Find anything?" Uncle Thorin asked.

"Only the horse," Fili replied.

Bofur joined us and said, "It looks like the orcs either killed or took all the animals. I found no sign of the hobbit lass."

Bifur and Bombur had not had any luck either.

"We must press on if we hope to rescue her," Uncle Thorin said.

It didn't look like anything was alive on the farm until we heard the barking of a dog. It came running up to us. I still had my bow ready and almost shot it on instinct but Fili managed to stop me. The dog led us to the hobbit lass we had been searching for. I was the first to arrive and knelt down in the snow beside her. I removed my glove and brushed the long red hair from her face. The dog immediately curled itself around her. To begin with, I thought she was dead, but I left her breath on my hand.

"Is she alive?" my uncle asked.

"She lives," I said. I did not appear that she had suffered any injury and I guessed that she had lost consciousness due to the freezing weather.

"Fili, Kili, you take her back to your mother," Uncle Thorin said. "The rest of us will deal with the orcs."

"And take the 'osse with thee," said Bofur.

With Fili's help, we lifted her on to my pony and pulled myself up behind her. She was deathly cold and I am sure that had it not been for the dog and our timely arrival that the hobbit lass would soon have died. I wrapped my coat around her as best I could and waited for Fili to finish tethering the horse to his pony, the hobbit's dog at my side.


	3. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 2nd entry.

Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 2nd entry.

Continued from the last entry….

The first thing I became aware of was the motion of being on a horse, a strong arm around me and a warmth at my back. I struggled to open my eyes and it was several minutes before I was able to finally open them, as my body had little energy and wanted to pull me back into sleep. At first, I thought that my father or one of my brothers had become concerned about me because of the weather but as I became more aware of my surroundings, I realised that it wasn't.

I was on the back of an unfamiliar pony and I saw a horse being led by a pony with a male rider in front of us. An unfamiliar voice spoke up from behind.

"Fili, stop. I think she's coming round."

Fili turned to look over his shoulder and I saw that I was in the company of at least one dwarf. Fili reigned his pony in and dismounted. By this time, I was alert enough to realise whom the horse belonged to, but felt too weak at that moment to do anything. The dwarf holding on to me waited until Fili had come up along side us before dismounting. I wanted to shout at them, runaway, sure that these dwarves were stealing me away from my home and family but the weakness I felt prevented me and the presense of the horse didn't make any sense if that was the case.

"I'll help you down," said the dwarf who had been riding behind me. Very carefully and very slowly because I still felt extremely groggy, I got down from the pony. I then noticed that Trotter was there and relaxed a little. Trotter would not be happy in the company of strangers if they meant me harm. Both of the dwarves were young looking and had stubble instead of full beards, as if the beards were just beginning to grow. The one named Fili had long blonde hair and the unnamed dwarf had long dark brown hair which was almost black.

"What am I doing here?" I asked. "This isn't my farm." We had, in fact, entered the mountains, but were in one of the many wooded valleys between the peaks.

"Your farm was raided by orcs," said Fili.

"The sheep," I said. "I thought they'd been attacked by dogs or wolves."

"That'd be the wargs," said the dark haired dwarf. "I'm Kili and this is my brother, Fili." He indicated the other dwarf.

I was almost to afraid to ask about what had happened to my family, but not knowing was just as bad. "My family?" I asked. Suddenly my legs felt too weak to support me and it had nothing to do with the cold.

"I'm sorry - we didn't get to your farm quick enough. By the time we got there, it was too late," Kili said.

"I see," I said and couldn't say anymore. Just like that, my entire world was in ruins. Trotter came up to me and lent on me as I sat on the ground. I buried my hand in his fur. I don't know how long I sat there, but it seemed like an eternity. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Kili standing over me.

"We can't stay here. You're ill and the snow is falling again," he said.

I nodded and let him help me to my feet.


	4. Kili's Journal, 2nd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

Kili's Journal, 2nd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

Continued from the last entry

It was dusk by the time we arrived at the sole traveler's inn on the road to Thorin's Gate.

On the way, I had learnt that the hobbit's name was Hilda Greenhill. It was unusual to find hobbits this far from the shire. I suspect that there is an interesting story there but I will wait until it looks like she is up to it before asking. She was quiet much for much of the time, only talking if I or Fili asked her a direct question.

The weather had worsened all day and as it was unlikely that we would have made it home for some time, Fili and I decided that a stay at the inn would be a good idea until there was an improvement in the weather, Uncle Thorin catches up with us, Hilda feels up to traveling (if we had stayed out on the road, I am sure that the weather would have finished what it had started), or we ran out of money - which ever happens first.

I saw to the ponies and Hilda's horse while Fili and Hilda went inside to get warmed up, order food and ale and to get rooms for us. Hilda's dog was also allowed into the inn as long as he didn't cause trouble, and kept to the "dog-shelf."

On reaching the stables, I found that there was only one other animal there, a magnificent horse that looked like it had the blood of the herds of Rohan running through its veins. I removed their tack and ensured that they had enough fodder and water to last the night. They were too damp to brush down - the mud and filth would come off more easily once it had dried. I finished up in the stable and went outside. I was just about to go in search of respite from the cold, when I heard a commotion up ahead. A dwarf was fleeing towards the stables with a man on his heels. I recognised the dwarf.

"Nori."

He almost ran straight into me. I drew my sword. The man was irate and shouted a string of obscenities which are unrepeatable here.

"Back off," I said.

"That thieving scrounger stole my gold," said the man.

I gave Nori a dark glare. I knew better than to ask Nori if it was true. "Give it back to him, Nori," I said.

Nori was about to protest. "'Av I 'eck as -"

"Give it back!"

"Oh, al'rate," Nori said, producing a bulging bag of gold and giving it to me. I passed it to the man. He still looked like he wanted to spit Nori on a stick.

"I am Kili, nephew of King Thorin Oakenshield of Thorin's Gate," I said to the man. "This dwarf is one of my people and under my protection." I think the man got the point and I sheaved my sword.

With great reluctance, Nori accompanied me to the inn.

"Tha ain't gonna dob me in ta Dori, ah tha?" Nori asked,

"You're lucky I don't cut your fingers off myself, you tea-leafing git," I growled.

When we entered, the innkeeper insisted on us handing over our weapons so that they could be locked away until it was time for our departure. I didn't like it and I doubted Fili liked it either, but the innkeeper said it was either that, or go back out into the winter weather. I just hoped that the orcs didn't decide to come this way as we'd be ill prepared to face them.

The inn was almost deserted. Aside from Fili, Hilda, Nori and myself, there was only one other traveler there - a man who had the look of a ranger about him. As it wasn't the man who had been chasing Nori, I decided to take no notice of him and walked over to the table Fili had chosen near the fireplace.

"Look who I met outside," I said to Fili.

"Hello Nori," said Fili.

"We may be in for some trouble," I told Fili and hastily explained to him what had happened outside. We both warned Nori not to do anything which could lead to trouble while we were at the inn. Mainly because we didn't know how long the snow storm was going to last and how long our stay would have to be.

I took my coat off and hung it up with Fili's and Hilda's to dry. Nori just sat down in a spare chair at the table. Hilda's dog lay snoozing under the table, his head on his paws. I sat down next to Hilda, making sure that the entrance door was in sight. Fili had ordered me a pint of mead while I had been seeing to the animals and dealing with Nori's little problem. I decided that I really needed that drink after all of the day's events and downed it in one.

Hilda was looking better now that she was out of the cold, but she still looked quite ill and remained quiet for much of the time. I suppose she was still in shock over what had happened. Fili brought Nori up to speed on the orcs and Hilda's situation.

"And what about you, Nori? What business do you have in these parts?"

"Wit' Yule almost on us, Ah thought Ah'd pay mi mam, Dori and Ori a visit," Nori replied. "Naw that tha told me about the orcs, Ah'm thinking of goin' ta look for Thorin an' teach them orcs a lesson."

I caught on straight away what he was up to, and so did Fili. He might have set out to go to Thorin's Gate, but now after being caught doing something he didn't want his mother and older brother knowing about, he was looking for an excuse to stay away.

"You're not. You're coming back to Thorin's Gate with us," Fili said.

"Besides, those orcs are out there somewhere, and you wouldn't want to cross paths with them alone," I said.

"Tha's made thee point,” Nori conceded.

The door cracked open and the man Nori had tried to steal from entered. He looked over in our direction but didn't come over and went to the bar instead. I pointed him out to Fili. After getting his pint, he sat at a table as far from us as possible. I relaxed a little.

The meal arrived, some kind of beef stew and bread.

"Could you bring the same for our friend here, and a pint of mead?" Fili asked, of the innkeeper's wife, passing over some coin. I ordered another pint of mead for myself.

The stew wasn't much, not enough beef for my taste and it had far too many root vegetables, but the bread was fresh and it chased some of the chill from our bones. Normally, dwarven meals are lively affairs, but none of us felt much like celebrating. Hilda, I suppose, was still quite ill from exposure and the shock of losing her family and home.

Fili and myself couldn't stop thinking about Uncle Thorin and the other dwarves out hunting orcs on a dreadful night such as this.

Hilda's dog was given a bone to gnaw on provided by the innkeeper's wife when she arrived with Nori's meal and the mead.

The wind howled outside, driving snow and hail at the inn's leaded window panes.


	5. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 3rd entry

Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 3rd entry

Continued from the last entry.

It had been impossible for me to get any sleep that night. Finding the dead sheep, imagined scenes of my parents' and brothers' bodies kept chasing themselves around in my head and gave me no peace at all. The thought of not seeing any of them again was like a knife wound to my chest. Of course, I had Trotter and I was glad that our horse, Crowberry had survived, but that would never compensate for the loss of my family. It would only be much later that the impact of the loss of the farm would come to me. For that night, I could only think about my parents, my brothers and the sheep (the sheep, I couldn't let go because of the sight of them dead). My grief was like a heavy weight on my chest. Kili must have heard my sobbing because he came into my room sometime in the night. He did not say anything as he sat beside me and put an arm around my shoulders.

When I stopped sobbing, which seemed like an age, he said very quietly "I know something which might take your mind of things for a while."

"All right," I said.

"I'll be back in a minute," he went out of the room. While he was gone, Trotter poked his head around the door and walked in. He lay down on the floor next to my bed. He shouldn't really be in there, but I didn't have the heart to shoo him out.

When Kili returned, he was carrying a lighted lamp, and a well-worn leather bag. He set the lamp down.

"Ever played Hnefetafl before?" he asked as he emptied the bag. Inside was a board made of wood with a thirteen by thirteen grid pattern and twenty four stones carved out of amethyst, twelve stones carved out of bleujenn and a king piece carved out of rock quartz.

"I know how to play," I said, trying to keep my voice level, but failing. "My brothers and I played it often."

"That's good," he said. "I don't need to explain the rules."

We played the game a few times, each of us taking on the role of attacker and defender at least once. I did enjoy the games, but that dreadful feeling of loss and dread did not leave me entirely. After the third game, we decided it was time to call it a night. I did sleep after he left, but not well.


	6. Kili's Journal (Translated from Dwarven Runes) 3rd Entry

Kili's Journal (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

Continued from last entry….

I was very late getting up the next morning, so late in fact, that Fili had already dealt with the needs of the ponies and Hilda's horse by the time I entered the common room. Fili and Nori were sat at the same table from the night before. Hilda was nowhere to be seen. A glance out of the window was all I needed to know that were weren't going anywhere today. Both Fili and Nori looked like they had finished eating breakfast, a cold, lumpy porridge along with a mug of some foul tasting tea which the innkeeper's wife brought over when she saw me. I thought from the night before that the food in this place couldn't get any worse, but apparently, I was wrong. 

I was just about to start when Nori asked me a question. "Late neet, last neet, was it?"

"Ah saw thee sneaking into the lassie's room last neet," Nori replied.

Fili looked at me gone out, so I thought I'd better explain.

"Nothing happened. We just played a few games of Hnefetafl," I replied.

"Sure tha did," Nori said.

"That's all we did," I said.

Nori laughed. "Ah'll believe thee, but the rest o' Ered Luin wouldn't."

Unfortunately, the innkeeper's wife over heard Nori's comments and she wasn't very happy about funny goings on under her roof. I guess it was pay back from catching him the day before. I was glad, for once, that Uncle Thorin wasn't around.

Later that day, Hilda and I went out to the stables. She wanted to see Crowberry, (I had learnt that was the name of the horse) and I needed to check on the ponies. 

"I feel that I must apologise," I said as we were walking over to the stables. Trotter was running around in front of us, trying to catch the snowflakes that were falling. 

"I'm not sure what you mean," Hilda said.

At least that meant that the old snap dragon (the innkeeper's wife) hadn't spoken to Hilda about last night.

"Nori saw me when I went into your room last night and couldn't keep his big gob shut about," I explained. "So I must apologise for bringing your virtue into question."

"But we really didn't do anything," she said.

"I know, but it just doesn't look like that," I said.

"We'd best not linger out here, then," Hilda said.

"Agreed," I replied.

"But it is Nori whose got the wrong idea," Hilda said.

"He's just having me on. It's payback for making him give back that money he tried to steal."

When we got to the stables, Hilda's horse whinnied at her. Trotter followed us in and laid down in the straw, looking like he belonged there. Hilda insisted on seeing to the ponies and I watched her. 

"They appear to like you," I said.

"What are their names?" she asked.

"Mine is called Bungo and Fili's is called Rowan," I replied.

She went over to the strange horse which flattened its ears back and kicked at the door to its stall. Hilda backed away. 

"He's not friendly," she observed. 

"Let's finish up here and get back inside the inn," I said. I didn't like the way the horse was behaving and thought that the quicker we finished up the sooner the horse would be left in peace.


	7. Hilda Greenhill's Diary 4th Entry

Continued from last entry…

The snowstorm lasted two days from the evening we arrived at the inn. During that time, I got to know Kili and Fili better. They told me that they were the nephews of a dwarven king who had lost his kingdom to a dragon during the time of their great grandfather and were building a new home in the Blue Mountains. I knew about the dwarven settlement in the mountains, as my parents had sometimes traded produce with them, but I had known nothing of the history behind the settlement. I came to realise that I had something in common with these dwarves - both of us had lost our home, and it would take a long time to reclaim it. We spent the days during the storm in the common room, sometimes going out to the stables to check on the animals. Trotter spent much of his time asleep in front of the fire, accept of course, when I went anywhere and he would be close on my heels. I did wonder how much he understood, if he knew the rest of my family was gone.

Kili's company I liked especially, as he tried to take my mind off losing my family. We spent the time waiting for the snow storm to pass playing games of Hnefetafl, which would have been great if it had not reminded me of the times my brothers and I spent playing it on similar days. I would have enjoyed Kili's company a lot more if the grief of losing them had not been so raw and regretted not meeting him in happier times. However, we were careful not to repeat the events of the other night and the innkeeper's wife seemed to be watching the both of us like a hawk.

In contrast, Fili was a lot more serious and I think his thoughts were preoccupied with his Uncle Thorin, and the other dwarves who were with him. I learnt that they had left them behind in the storm to hunt the orcs that had murdered my family and raided the farm. No one turned up at the inn, dwarf or otherwise, and I think that the lack of news was worrying him. If Thorin is dead, either at the hands of the orcs or a casualty of the storm, that would make Fili the king of his people. The burden weighs heavily on him and I don't know what is worse, knowing that your family is gone, or waiting on the possibility that one of them is dead.

I do not know what to make of Nori. He is the kind of person that is alright to talk to and sometimes even makes me laugh with what he comes out with. Fili told me to be cautious of him. 

I would like to go back to the farm to see if there is anything that I could salvage, but I doubted that it would be restorable and Fili told me that all of the animals on the farm were dead or stolen by the orcs. I only had Trotter and Crowberry left from my previous life.

I was coming out of my room on to the landing when Kili reached the top of the stairs. "It looks like the storm has passed. Do you think that you are well enough to travel today?" he asked. "Fili is anxious to get back to our mother."

"How long do you think the journey will take?" I asked.

"It took us five days to get to your farm, but as we were hunting orcs, we didn't take the direct route. It should take us a couple of days."

I patted Trotter's head. I still felt rough, but I was wanting to get away from the eagle-eyed innkeeper's wife as I felt that she was always watching me. "I'm up to it," I said.

"I'll let Fili know," Kili said, turning to head back down the stairs.

"Kili, I'm sure your uncle is fine."

"I hope so."

When I was ready, I found that Fili was settling up with the innkeeper, paying what we owed, getting the weapons back and paying for some supplies for the road. 

"Where's Nori?" Fili asked Kili as he shouldered the bag the innkeeper had put our supplies in.

"He's getting the ponies ready," Kili replied.

"Good," Fili said. "Did you ask him to?"

"He volunteered."

We went outside to find that Nori was with the ponies at the trail which served as a road through the mountains. I think Fili was expecting not to find him there because he seemed a bit surprised.

"Rate then, let's get going," Nori said when we had reached him.

We took it in turns to ride and I must say that it was hard going with the deep snow. It came up to just below my knees and was deeper in other places. On the other hand, the Blue Mountains had a rare beauty about it - it didn't matter what the weather was like, it could be raining, snowing, misty or a sunny day, every type of weather enhanced the mountain range's beauty in its own way. 

When we made our first stop to take a break, Fili was going through Rowan's saddle bags. "Nori, what's all this stuff?" he asked, pulling out a block of cheese, a loaf of bread and a small bag of potatoes.

Kili looked inside Bungo's saddle bags and found a couple of bottles of mead in one and a bag of gold in the other. "We should take this stuff back," Kili said.

"No. I'll send someone with payment down when the snow has cleared up. We've lingered out here too long already," Fili said. "But that doesn't mean you're getting away with this, Nori. You'll do some work in the mines to pay off your debt."

In the end, it took us about three days instead of two to get to Thorin's Gate. The snow had slowed us down considerably. There was a small village outside the mine, complete with a few cottages, a mead hall, a stable complex for the ponies and all the other amenities that a small settlement needed. It was only a tempory settlement as the dwarves would move into the mines to make their homes there once it had been established. The mine was not ready for habitation as yet so the majority of the dwarves lived outside of it. There was an inn which Nori headed off to almost as soon as they had arrived. We had dismounted from the ponies when we entered the village.

"Let him go, Kili. We can always send Dori to look for him if they are back," Fili said.

"Do you think we should try home, or the mead hall first?" Kili asked.

"Home," Fili replied. "Besides, we need to drop the animals off anyway."

Home turned out to be one of the larger cottages in the area which had a forge attached, a stable and a paddock for the ponies. As we drew closer, we saw that there was a stocky dwarf hammering away at a metal object on top of an anvil. The dwarf was wearing a rough spun skirt, and a tunic. In spite of the cold, she didn't need to wear the coat that was hung up on a peg some distance away from the furnace, as that was all the heat she needed. Her long dark brown hair was twisted into two plaits that helped to keep her hair out of the way while she worked.

"Mam's home," Fili said to his brother. He turned to me. "Would you mind holding these for us while we go and speak to her?"

I did not like the idea of holding on to two ponies, plus Crowberry, but they seemed relaxed enough. Their mother broke off what she was doing when Kili called out to her. Unusually for a dwarf, she had no beard and I learnt later that widowed dwarves often shaved their beard as a mark of their grief at losing their husbands, and as I was to learn later, their mother had suffered more than enough losses to grieve for. They both hugged their mother in greeting and after exchanging a few words, moved forward to greet me.

"Kili here tells me that you are looking for a place to stay. There is more than enough room for you and you are welcome," she said. "I am Dis. Lads, see to these animals. Come, lass, and we'll get you settled."

I handed the ponies and Crowberry over to them and followed Dis as she led me towards the cottage. She stopped after a few paces.

"Oh, and boys, get off with thee to the mead hall after tha's done. Balin'll be needing to see the both of you," she said to her sons. 

"Will do, mam," Fili said.

I followed Dis through the front door into the cottage, which opened out on to a sitting room which consisted of several chairs arranged around a fireplace. A writing desk and a floor to ceiling bookcase by the window. The walls were made of oak wood, with geometric shapes carved into them similar to the pillars on either side of the entrance to the mead hall. There were several framed pictures of dwarves, both male and female, though the males out numbered the females considerably, on the walls in the sitting room. The newest of which I could see were of Kili and Fili. Dis saw me looking at them.

"That one," she said, pointing to a picture of the oldest dwarf man. "is my grandfather, King Thror, my grandmother." She didn't tell me her name. 

"My father, Thrain," she said, indicating another picture. "And my mother."

Again, Dis did not reveal the name of her mother. "My brother Thorin, the current king," she continued. "My brother Frerin, my husband, Vili. They are all gone now, apart from Thorin."

"What happened to them?" I asked.

"My grandfather and brother were killed by orcs when we attempted to take back the lost mines of Moria after the dragon drove us out of Erebor. My father, his fate is unknown. After the war with the orcs, my father attempted to take back Erebor, but was lost in Mirkwood. Vili, he was lost in a mining accident," Dis related to me the fate of her kin. "As for my mother and grandmother, they died in the wilds after we were driven out of Erebor. My grandmother was not in the best of health due to old age and sickened and died shortly after. My mother died protecting me from a lynx, until Thorin and Frerin arrived to kill it. I was only a child at the time."

We went through into a hallway and I was surprised to discover that there was no kitchen. Dis explained to me that most of the dwarves ate together at the mead hall. 

"My father, Thorin, Frerin and Vili built this house after we came up here from Dunland. It was meant to house all of us, including my grandfather, until we had mined halls fit enough to live in," Dis said, as we passed three rooms to climb the stairs to the first floor. "Or until my brothers had found themselves a wife and they built a room for each of us, including an extra one for my children after Vili and I married. Since it is only myself, Thorin and the boys that live here now there are too many empty rooms in this house."

She led me into one of the rooms. "This was Frerin's room. Mine is the one next to it. The boys are in the two rooms opposite. I thought that Thorin would prefer some peace and had the boys' up here."

Dis found me some clothes to change into and then left me so to allow me to settle in. I went over to the leaded window and looked out to a good view of the mountain side and the mead hall. My stomach rumbled and I decided that I would go up to the mead hall when I changed to get something to eat. There were two sets of clothes, a long green dress and a travelling/work outfit. I decided that has I was going to be seen by lots of people, that the dress would be more appropriate to wear.

There had still been no word of Thorin or the dwarves that had set out with him.


	8. Kili's Journal, 4th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

Continued from last entry

The mead hall was bustling with activity when we arrived. In one corner was Gloin's wife, Gloa, who was sat with two other dwarves - the oldest of which was Nori's mother, Skafid and Dwalin's wife, Vif. Skafid as usual, was engrossed in her knitting. Gloa was busy with the spinning wheel, turning the pile of wool at her feet into useful thread for Skafid to use in her knitting, and Vif was tending to her newest baby, sharing gossip with them whilst keeping an eye on her three year old son and five year old daughter, who were playing nearby. The hall seemed to have an unusual air of feminity about it, probably because most of the dwarven men were still elsewhere.

We saw Balin talking with Dori by the great chair which my uncle sat in when presiding over matters related to the running of the kingdom, or when attending the feast days held in the hall. It was empty, and it seemed that no one presumed that they could sit in it in his absence. It crossed my mind that Fili could soon be sitting in it if Uncle Thorin was indeed lost, as we feared.

Balin broke off his conversation with Dori when he saw us approach. "Hello lads. It's good to see that you are back," Balin said. "Is your uncle around?"

"Then he is not back yet," I said.

"I'm afraid not," Balin replied. "Why is he not with you?"

Fili explained what had happened to Hilda's farm.

"Terrible news, that. In fact, it is what I need to speak to your uncle about," Balin said. "The orcs are getting bolder, their attacks more frequent."

A look of concern passed across Fili's face. "You don't think Thorin's Gate could be at risk, do you?" Fili asked the question that had been preying on all of our minds for a while.

"It is unlikely," Balin said, glancing at Dwalin's young brood. "But we shouldn't rule it out. I will speak to Dwalin about reinforcing the defenses, just in case."

"The late supply caravan was found?" Fili asked. That had been the business which the other dwarves had been on when we had gone out searching for the orc party that had been reported.

"They turned up yesterday." We had been starting to think that the caravan had been a victim of the orc pack, and I was surprised that they had managed to get through.

"It's a miracle then, that the orcs didn't come across them," Fili said.

"Aye, that it is," Balin said. "The men will be staying until we know for sure that the orcs have been dealt with."

"A wise precaution," Fili remarked.

"Here, lads," Dori said, handing Fili and myself a goblet each which he had just filled from the barrel. "You look like you could both do with a drink. I was just showing Balin what we've brewed for the coming festivities. It's the latest batch of ale for Yule."

I tried mine, and almost gagged. "It's got a great kick to it."

Fili drank his. "This should go down well," he remarked.

"Thought it would," Dori said. "Of course, we've also got a good selection of wine, ciders, lagers and meads."

"Nori's in town. We met him on the road," Fili said.

"Is he? I don't know if this will please or upset mother," Dori said. "Not up to his old tricks, is he?"

"Sadly, yes," I said.

"He's down at the inn," Fili said.

"I'd best be going, then," Dori said, heading over to speak to Ori who was sat with Gloin, going over the accounts to decide what the caravan men were owed. 

"We'll talk, later Balin. I need to discuss a problem we encountered on the road with Gloin," Fili said.

"That's alright, laddie. Now, Kili, you look like you should get sommat down thee."

I didn't need telling twice because I was starving. While I was making my way to the table, I saw Hilda and went over to her, with the ever present Trotter at her heels. Trotter wagged his tail at me as I approached.

"You settling in alright?" I asked. 

"Yes. Your mother was very helpful. She said that I could get something to eat here, and that she will be coming over shortly."

"I am glad," I said as we walked over to the table. There were no other dwarves sat at the table, as dwarf women were still bringing platters of food to it. We sat down at the top end on the bench and I became a bit self conscious as a middle age dwarf woman looked at me, and then at Hilda and then at me again with disapproval. It was starting to get a bit tiresome that everywhere we went, people assumed that we were up to something unseemly. I did think about saying that we should kiss so that they actually had something to complain about, but I thought better of it. Instead, I poured us both a mug of mead each.

"Well, will tha look at that!" said one of the dwarf women, her hand on her hips glaring at us. "Young 'uns, nowadays have no sense of discretion."

"No respect all," said another of the dwarf women. "A beardless woman and the king's youngest nephew."

It felt everyone's eyes were on me and I wished that the ground would open up and swallow me. Fortunately at that moment, my mother arrived took them aside to explain the situation. Also, at that moment, there was a thunderous shout from Dori - Fili must have told him about Nori's pilfering, which also drew attention from us.

"Look's like Fili has told Dori about Nori," I said. 

Fili and Ori joined us. "That was brilliant," said Ori, in reference to the dwarf womens' reaction to me pouring Hilda a drink.

"It looks like you're making quite a reputation for yourself, brother," Fili said as he sat down on the opposite side of the table from us. 

"Scandalous," Ori said.

"I don't get it," said Hilda. 

"You tell her Fili," I said.

Fili explained to Hilda about dwarf women only shaving their beards if they had been widowed.

"But I'm a hobbit," Hilda said.

"They just like pulling Kili's leg," Ori said. "They make a sport of it."

"I'm glad someone finds amusement at my expense," I said.

"And mine," Hilda added.

"I take it what you had to see Gloin and Dori about went down well?" I asked.

"As well as could be expected," Fili replied.

I watched Dori and Gloin walk over to Ori's mother. After listening to what Dori had to say, she put aside her knitting and stood up. As the trio were heading towards the door, Dwalin entered the hall and Dori gestured for him to join them. 

"That doesn't look good, does it?" Ori commented.

"Do you think Nori's been telling people down at the -" Fili began to ask.

"People shouldn't take much stock in the tales of thieves," I said, forgetting for a moment who I was talking to. Ori looked at me darkly.

"Are you calling my brother a thief?" 

Fili tried to diffuse the situation. "I know he's your brother, Ori, but Nori caused us quite a lot of trouble on the road."

"Trouble we could have done without," I added.

We ate in silence for several minutes. After the meager offerings at the inn, I was glad of something good. 

Ori cracked open the book he had brought to the table with him and said to Hilda "Do you mind if I draw your portrait?"

"Maybe later, Ori. Give her time to settle in," I said.

"You can have it when I am done," Ori said.

"I don't mind, but maybe some other time. I really don't feel my best at the moment," Hilda said.

Ori proceeded to make sketches regardless, in between swallowing and shoveling food into his mouth, managing somehow not to get food all over the sketches he was working on. When he finished, he pushed it across the table. 

Hilda smiled, one of the few ones I had seen on her face since meeting her. "I like it. Thank you." He had also drawn a sketch of me next to her, and Hilda's dog in one of the corners.


	9. Hilda Greenhill's Diary 5th Entry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a short chapter, but I think it has more impact than something that is long...

I find nights are the worst. During the day, at least, there are moments when I almost forget what has happened, like when Ori drew the picture of Kili and I. I have company around me and many of the dwarves have been kind, but I still feel alone, even when there are lots of people around me. My dreams are full of nightmarish images of orcs tearing through the farm, killing as they go. But as monstrous as those dreams are, the worst I get are those dreams when I dream of my family alive. These dreams begin happy and I enjoy them at first. Here, at least, they are with me. But they are insidious. They deceive me into thinking that my family are alive. At some point in them I realise they are gone, and harsh reality comes crashing in on me. I lose them all over again. 

The darkness is oppressive.


	10. Kili's Journal, 5th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

(Continued from last entry)

Two weeks had passed since the orcs attacked Hilda's farm and Uncle Thorin had still not returned. The year turns ever closer to Yuletide and the winter solstice was only a week away. Preparations for the festival had begun by that time, but until Uncle Thorin's return, I could not bring myself to look forward to it. In the meantime, Fili has taken Uncle Thorin's seat in the mead hall. He did the best he could, but lack of experience at governing meant that he needed the sage advice of Balin and our mother. The fact that he has yet to take part in a real battle meant that there was some objections to him taking the seat. Some dwarves wanted Dwalin to act as steward in my uncle's absence, others wanted Balin. Dwalin refused the role, saying that he was a solider, not a ruler and Balin did not want division among our people, especially with the threat of the orcs looming over us and put his support behind Fili. 

It is understandable that some objected - Uncle Thorin was only taken seriously as a leader of our people after the battle at Moria where he earned his name of Oakenshield, at least, that is what my mother tells me. Balin's reasoning behind supporting Fili was that Uncle Thorin would want Fili to take over from him if anything were to happen to him. 

Hilda has recovered physically from her ordeal, but recovering from the loss of her family will take longer. I just wish that there was something I could do to help her. I know that there are times when she has trouble sleeping and she has told me about the dreams she has. I long to see her smile again, but I fear that it will be a long time in coming.


	11. Hilda Greenhill's Diary 6th Entry

Continued from last entry

With Yuletide almost upon us, Kili went out with a group of other dwarves into the woods in the valley below the settlement. Their goal, to see if they could catch a wild boar for the Yule feast. Dwalin, Gloin, Nori (forgiven somewhat for his actions at the inn), Oin and Gimli went with him. Ori had wanted to go, but his mother wouldn't let him, saying that it was too dangerous. 

Despite the fact that the dwarves were gearing up for a celebration, there seemed to be an air of gloom about the settlement and I didn't think it had anything to do with the dark short days and the long dreary nights. I put it down to the absence of Thorin and the absence of the dwarves who set out with him. 

Fili did not go on the wild boar hunting expedition because of his duties in the mead hall. For myself, my own cloud of gloom was obvious. This would be the first Yule without the rest of my family and it wasn't something that I thought could ever happen. Of course, I am not naïve enough to believe that my family would have stayed intact forever, but I thought that there would have at least been some of my family around me, my brothers, perhaps, my husband and my own children when the time came, but to be completely alone without anyone, that is something I never anticipated.

I was not aware that the other races of Middle-earth celebrated Yuletide like we hobbits do, but it makes sense when I think about it. It is a way of being in tune with the cycles of the seasons, awareness of the passage of time and the renewal of life and it is a connection that all the people's of Middle-earth and the creatures that live in it must feel. It is something that gets us through the dark times in our lives, that hope that life will endure and continue, but it is also something that is so easily forgotten when dark times are upon us.

From what I have seen so far, dwarven Yuletide celebrations are somewhat different to hobbit Yule celebrations, but there are also some things which remain the same. First, the similarities - the abundance of good food and drink, and lots of music, these are the same. The differences lie in the way decorations. There are no evergreen decorations such as holly, ivy and the only reference to trees used in the celebrations is that of a large Yule log which will be burnt throughout the longest night. I have come to the conclusion that dwarves are not fond of green, growing things. 

A group of the dwarf women, Dis, Gloa, Skafid, Vif, Bild, (the dwarf woman who had been due to marry Frerin before the battle that claimed his life) Lyngheid and Lofnheid (Dwalin's eldest daughters) and Dwalin's children had gathered to see the hunters off. Dwalin was busy saying his farewell to his family, Ori was still trying to convince Skafid to let him go on the hunt and Gloin and Gimli were saying their good byes to Gloa. 

"Promise me you won't do anything daft," Dis said to her son.

"Mam, you worry about me too much," Kili said.

"That's because half the time you lack common sense," Dis replied. "I would feel better about if your uncle was here."

Dwalin over heard the exchange. "Don't worry, Dis. We won't let anything happen to the lad," he said.

"I'll see you later, Hilda," Kili said to me and the hunters went off in high sprits. With all the noise they were making, I would have been surprised if they managed to catch anything. Ori tried to sneak off after them, but Skafid didn't miss a trick. All the dwarf women, apart from Dis and Bild, with the children and Ori in tow, headed back towards the mead hall.

Dis, Bild and I headed back towards the cottage. Bild was one of the dwarf women who had taken up the work of a metal smith and she had Dis had been friends for many years. 

"Before the dragon drove us out of Erebor," Dis reminisced as we walked. "My mother forged priceless items of beauty. Crowns and jewels for the elves, golden broaches and chains for the ladies in the lands of Rohan and Gondor and the finest weapons made by any race other than that forged by the elves themselves. It was a good time for dwarves then."

"Oh aye, lass. My mother's specialty was mithril armour," Bild said. 

"Now, though, we are reduced to producing crude tools of iron for farmers of the race of men we trade with," Dis said. "Essential, maybe, but the lack the artistry of the craft."

"What you'll find, Hilda," Bild said. "Is that the men make a lot out of the value of silver, gold, precious stones and mithril, but for us, it is the act of making them that we crave. The mountains of Ered Luin hold a lot of metal ore, but it is only common metals such as iron, and bronze."

"There is one mine though, that does hold something special. It holds deposits of quartz and bleujenn. We call it Morgoth's Hole, because of it's appearance and it has a bad reputation of accidents occurring there," Dis said. "Vili was killed in one of the cave ins there."

"Some of the men have a more vulgar name for it," Bild said. Bild told me the name but it is unrepeatable, so I will not record it here.

We parted company when we got to the cottage as I had promised Kili that I would see to the ponies while the dwarves were on the boar hunting expedition. I didn't mind it. I liked spending time with the animals and I needed to care for Crowberry anyway. Trotter lay down by the gate to the paddock after I had turned them out so that I could clean out the stables, make sure that they had clean water and enough hay. When I finished, I found a mug of mead and some bread and cheese waiting for me, which I was glad for. 

The day which had started out clear, had turned to a dull grey and a cold drizzle had started to fall. The sun, what I could see of it, was well on its way towards its resting place in the west. Crowberry, Rowan and Bungo would be fine until dusk and I decided to go up to the mead hall to escape the drizzle.

As the afternoon turned to dusk, I decided to bring the animals in. Ori and Lofnheid (the second eldest of Dwarlin's daughters) accompanied me. Lofnheid had an interest in scribing and they were often seen in each other's company (much to his mother's consternation.) I had glanced at the contents of the book Ori wrote in and found a lot of sketches of Lofnheid, more than there were of other dwarves of Ered Luin. 

Over the course of the afternoon, the drizzle had turned to a cold mist which thoroughly dampened our clothing and hair. After seeing to the animals, we decided to see if we could see the hunting party coming back home. We waited at the spot where we had seen them off from that morning and the visibility was extremely poor, due to the disappearing sun. The wait seemed like an age, and I was just about to suggest that we go to the mead hall, when we heard voices. We heard them before we finally saw them and even as they became visible, I could barely make them out. 

Gimli was the first to emerge from the fog, panting heavily because he had been running. It was obvious that something was amiss.

"There's been an accident," he gasped. Lofnheid took off to the mead hall to fetch help.

"Who's been hurt?" Ori asked. 

Before Gimli could reply, I could just about see a group of dwarves through the mist. As they got closer, I could see that they had been successful in the hunt, but they lacked the joviality could be expected from success. Two of the dwarves were carrying a third one between them, but I couldn't tell who it was they were carrying at that distance. 

One of the dwarves shouted to Gimli, "Gimli, go get Dis. Tell her Kili's been injured."

My heart dropped like a stone at the mention of Kili's name.


	12. Kili's Journal (Translated from Dwarven Runes) 6th Entry

Continued from last entry

The first thing I asked when I woke, was "What happened?"

"You got gorged by a boar, laddie," Balin said. 

I was in my own bed and Balin and Fili were looking over me. Hilda's dog Trotter was laid on top of the woolen blanket at the bottom of the bed. Balin's answer helped me to recall some of what happened. 

"Mam's livid," said Fili.

"Aye, she called thee a reckless fool," Balin said.

"You've been sleeping for two days. Mam and Hilda have been looking after you," Fili said, stroking Trotter's head. "This one has hardly left you alone."

To say I left terrible would have been an understatement. "Is Uncle Thorin back yet?"

"No, and there's been no news of your uncle, either I'm sorry to say," Balin said. "I have to go, laddie, but I'll let your mother or Hilda know you are awake."

Balin left. I was really hoping that it was Hilda and not my mother, who I saw first. I was unsure of why that was, and it was not because I knew that my mother would have some serious words to say to me when she did come up to see me, and I wasn't looking forward to it. Fili stayed with me until Hilda arrived. I could not help the grin that crossed my face when she entered, despite the pain I was in. Before leaving, Fili patted my shoulder.

"I'll see you later," he said and left.

Hilda helped me to sit up, which was quite painful and I felt nauseated for a good while after.

"How are you feeling?" Hilda asked.

"Like an oliphant has trampled me," I replied.

"You were lucky," Hilda said, sitting down in the chair beside my bed. "It looks a lot worse than it is."

I felt like swearing, but it was hardly Hilda's fault, and I really had no one but myself to blame for the condition I was in.

"Do you remember what happened?" Hilda asked, after a few minutes.

"I'm starting to remember some of it," I replied. "Could I have some water, please? My throat is really dry." 

Hilda poured me a mug of water from the pitcher which was on the bedside table and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I said. "The last thing I remember was a loud crashing in the bushes and the wild boar came rushing out. I was trying to reach for an arrow and to load my bow. Guess I wasn't fast enough and it is partly my fault. I should have had a boar spear."

"I need to check the wound, make sure that it is healing properly," Hilda said. 

It was then that I realised that I was only wearing the bandage and trousers. It was one thing to have my mother or one of the men take a look, but Hilda? Hilda must have seen the look on my face.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," Hilda said. "I did help your mother see to you when you was first brought back."

I think it was then I began to realise that I'd begun to fall for her and that the observations people had made, weren't that far off from the truth. But did Hilda feel the same way? And was it even appropriate? I don't ask that question because of her being a hobbit, (though some would say that was a valid reason not to proceed, especially those fur-faced old bats who complained in the mead hall the other night) but because she had recently lost her family and the timing wasn't right, so I didn't say a thing about it and tried to think of something else as she worked.

"It looks much better than it did and I don't see any signs that it is infected," Hilda said. She washed the wound and for once, I was glad that I was in pain, because it took my mind off the thing I didn't want to think about. After she finished washing and drying the wound, she put on a fresh bandage. 

"Do you feel up to playing a game of Hnefetafl?" she asked when she'd finished.

I thought about it but decided I was in too much pain to concentrate on the game. "Not really, but please stay a while. I could do with the company," I answered. And so we talked.

"You play the fiddle?" Hilda said, pointing to the instrument laid on the desk.

"I do, but badly. Fili is a far better musician than me," I replied.

"I'd like to hear you play sometime," Hilda said.

"I shall probably be playing it at the Yule feast, if I feel up to it," I said. 

Trotter stretched and rolled on to his back. "Fili mentioned that he has hardly left me alone since the accident."

"He fusses over people when they are ill," Hilda said. "He used to do it with the animals on the farm as well. I don't think he likes it when people are sick and it's his way of trying to help."

I thought back to the way he had shown us where Hilda was at the farm. "He saved your life, you know. He found us and led us straight to you. If it had not been for him, we would have missed you completely."

We talked for a while, until I mentioned that I began to feel hungry. 

"I'm sorry. I should have thought to bring you something, but when Balin told me you had woken up, I was in such a hurry to get over here, that it didn't cross my mind. I shouldn't be too long."

Hilda went out of the room and I waited a few minutes until I was sure she was gone. I wanted to see if I could get out of bed and I knew that if someone was with me, they wouldn't let me try it. The pain excoriating but I was able to get up, even if I had to do so slowly. I walked over to the window that looked out over the paddock. It was snowing again and the animals were inside the stable. I watched the snow fall, thinking about Uncle Thorin. After a while, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and, thinking it was Hilda, I stayed where I was. It was only when the door opened that I realised it was mother, instead, and she was not pleased to find me out of bed.


	13. Hilda Greenhill's Diary 7th Entry

Dis was not happy when she visited Kili for the first time after he had woken up because he got out of bed while I had gone to fetch him something to eat. He had reopened his wound. As a result, Dis set Skafid to keep an eye on him when Dis or I couldn't. Kili was not happy about that because Skafid had a tendency to make more of a fuss than Dis did, and he began to refer to Skafid as the "old snap-dragon" behind her back. Fili, Gimli and Ori found it hilarious. I think it embarrassed Kili somewhat to be watched over like some small child, especially when all she did was knit. It was difficult for me as well, because although Dis and I encouraged Kili to take things easy, Skafid took it to the extreme and wouldn't even allow him to play a game of Hnefetafl with me. Ori was sympathetic, because he had to put up with his mother's fussing all the time, and it was a relief when she left when evening came. Fili would visit then and tell him what had been going on in the mead hall that day. I don't think Dis wholly approved of it because she thought he should be resting, but if Thorin failed to return then Kili would need to know what had been happening. When Balin explained the logic to her, she tolerated it. 

Kili was on the mend by the fifth day after the accident, of which I am glad. Seeing him injured so badly had made me fear that he would die too and too soon after the loss of my family. Because he was well on his way to recovery, Skafid went back to spending time in the mead hall. There had still been no word of Thorin and he had yet to return. The snows had come back.

As it was taking so long, Fili had decided that he would take a party consisting of Dwalin, Gloin, Nori, Dori and Oin to search for Thorin and the others once the storm had passed. Kili would have joined the party too, if Dis had let him. Instead, she'd asked me to keep a close eye on him, which I was glad to do, especially now that Skafid wasn't around. 

Just like on the morning of the boar hunt, the dwarf women saw Fili and the rest of the party off. Kili was absent, and still in bed. After we had seen them off, I decided to go to the mead hall and get him some breakfast. Dis went with me because she wanted to help Balin with any business that came up during her eldest son's absence. 

When I brought breakfast to Kili's room, he was not there. I set the food down and went in search of him. He was no where in the cottage. I was beginning to get worried. It was Trotter that gave him away. The dog had not left Kili since the accident and I saw the dog outside the stables. When I entered the stables, I found him saddling up Bungo.

"You mean to go after them," I said. It was a statement, not a question.

"I have had enough of sitting idly by. Fili and I got you here safely. My uncle is out there in the wilderness."

I could see the determination in his eyes and that no amount of arguing with him would dissuade him from heading out. There was only one course of action I could take.

"Not alone, you're not. If you're going out there, I'm coming with you," I said. I expected him to object, but I guess I had the same determined look that he did. 

"Alright," he said.

"I'll meet you at the edge of the edge of the settlement after I've got some supplies," I said, while stroking Trotter's head. "He's coming with us as well. His nose is good. He will be able to follow Fili's trail if more snow falls." And I didn’t add, though this was my primary reason for wanting to accompany him, I can make sure that nothing happens to you.

"Agreed," Kili said. "Just one problem -I'll need to sneak past mother some how. She has eyes like an hawk."

"She's up at the mead hall, so there's no need to worry," I said. "Oh, before I forget, I brought you some breakfast. It's up in your room."

 

Within the hour, we'd had breakfast, gathered supplies and were following Trotter on Fili's trail.


	14. Kili's Journal, 7th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

The hobbit woman surprised me greatly when she said that she would accompany me on the search for Uncle Thorin. The day we found her lying in the snow, she had appeared small and weak, ill equipped to even survive the journey back to Ered Luin. Now, I was beginning to see that she was tougher than she appeared. 

"Do you think anyone suspects anything?" I asked her, as she had gone to the mead hall.

"I don't think so," Hilda said.

"We'd best get going, just incase," I said. Hilda was able to get onto Bungo's back without my help and I got up behind her. The wound still hurt and Hilda noticed.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" she asked.

"Quite," I replied, but to be honest, I wasn't really sure that I was. Pride or maybe stubbornness kept me from letting on how bad the wound sapped my strength. We kept to the quieter paths, hoping that we wouldn't encounter anyone. We had decided at the stables that it would be best just to take Bungo. Hilda's Crowberry would just draw too much attention. 

Now, our biggest concern was to keep a good enough distance behind Fili's party without losing them, but which also allowed us to remain unnoticed, especially when we were close to Thorin's Gate. Maybe later, perhaps this evening, we would join them, as by then we would be too far away from Thorin's Gate to make us go back. I mentioned my idea to Hilda.

"A sound plan," Hilda said. As we had to keep to the quieter paths to get out of Thorin's Gate, it took longer than I wanted to get on to the trail of Fili's party, but it was easy enough to follow once we had found the path they had taken because of the high degree of disturbed snow. 

"Are you skilled with the bow?" Hilda asked as we rode. I had made sure to bring it and my sword with me.

"Aye, though the boar that did this to me would have you believe other wise," I replied. "I hear elves are better."

There must have been something in my voice at the mention of elves. "You don't think much of wood elves?" she asked.

"False friends, they are," I replied. "When the dragon drove my people out of Erebor, they stood by and watched, even when my great grand father and Uncle asked them for help. They left them to wonder homeless in the wilderness."

Hilda's voice betrayed her shock. "I was always under the impression that they are a kind people."

"Cowardly would be a better description. They prefer to hide in their forests while dragons and orcs plunder and destroy the mountain halls of my people. They care little for what happens beyond their own borders, at least, this is what my Uncle tells me."

Hilda remained quiet for a while. I wondered if I might have been too harsh.

"My father didn't believe in weapons. He disliked violence of any kind and preferred to live in peace," Hilda said. "My brothers wanted to learn how to use a sword because they saw the dwarves who traded with us sometimes carried them, but my father forbade it. Perhaps if my father and brothers had been able to defend themselves, they would not have died."

I didn't know what to say to that. Orcs are viscous and their wargs even more so. I doubted that knowing how to wield a sword, axe or bow would have made any difference when the orcs attacked her farm. The numbers would also have overwhelmed them. I decided that it would not have been a good idea to tell her, that, though. 

"I would like to learn how to wield a sword and shoot a bow myself," Hilda said. 

"I think it could be arranged," I said. 

Most of the dwarf women, especially the younger ones, knew how to fight. It had been necessary for them to learn after being exiled from Erebor. However, most of them didn't fight on a regular basis, preferring to leave it to men. This was mainly due to having other tasks to perform. My mother, Vif (before the days of marriage) and Bild were exceptions.


	15. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 8th entry

The trail wasn't difficult to follow because of the clear tracks in the snow, but it was bitterly cold. Frost had formed in my hair. I don't know how anyone could survive in it and it felt like I was lost in a frozen landscape. I began to question the wisdom of leaving Thorin's Gate, but I decided to keep my opinion to myself for the time being. If Kili showed any sign of sickening from his healing wound, then I would make him go back. He didn't seem to be as relaxed as we rode as he had been on the way to Thorin's Gate. He became less talkative the longer we rode until he became silent altogether. 

When the sun was at it's highest in the sky, we stopped and broke into the supplies. We also made a small fire in an attept to warm up a bit. Kili did not look well, I observed as we ate.

"How are you holding up?" I asked. 

"I'm fine," Kili replied, though from the expression on his face, I could see that he wasn't.

"You aren't. You should let me take a look at it."

I ignored Kili's protests.

"It's reopened," I said, showing him the blood on my hands. Before he could respond, there was a low growl emitting from behind me. I turned to look as Kili pushed me aside, picked up his bow and laded it. A group of three bandits were bearing down on us. Kili fired off an arrow and hit one of them. I, being neither harmed, nor learned in combat, could only watch. Trotter's hackles were firmly raised as he snarled at the on coming bandits. Kili managed to get off another shot, which also hit its intended target, but there was no time for him to load and fire his bow a third time. Kili dropped his bow and drew his sword. Kili and the final bandit locked swords but I could see that it was a fight that Kili was unlikely to win. The wound was taking its toll on Kili's strength. 

I wasn't even thinking about doing anything, I just reacted. It is difficult to describe what happened, or how or why the idea came to me. In a moment, I was on Bungo's back and shouted to Kili to move aside as I directed the pony towards the bandit to trample him. The bandit didn't stand a chance as blood, slush and mud sprayed up from the ground as he was crushed under Bungo's hooves. Kili had only just managed to out of Bungo's way and he looked up at me on the pony from where he was sprawled on the ground. I don't know who was more astonished, myself, or Kili. 

I slid down from Bungo's back as Kili got to his feet. All he could say was "Thanks."

"Who were they?" I asked as Kili examined the one I had trampled.

"Bandits from Dunland, by the looks of it," Kili said. "They sometimes attack the villages in these parts. Almost as much a nuisance as the orcs and wargs. Sometimes, they even ally themselves with the orcs."

"Do you think that these were?" I asked.

"No. Just bandits out to rob travelers, most likely. I guess a lone dwarf and a hobbit look like an easy target," Kili replied.

We checked the other two to see if they were dead or just wounded. 

"This is interesting," I heard Kili say when we examined the first one he had shot. "Looks like it wasn't random after all."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Remember the man Nori tried to steal from? That's him," Kili winced. The bleeding had intensified.

"I should see to that wound," I said.

Reluctantly, Kili agreed.


	16. Kili's Journal, 8th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

The wound I had sustained during the boar hunt forced us to turn back. The journey back seemed to take an eternity. It was dusk when we finally arrived back, and needless to say that mother really was not happy with either of us, especially when she learnt about the bandits. Though she didn't like the fact that Hilda had encouraged me, she did thank the hobbit for going with me to ensure nothing bad happened to me (other than almost getting killed by the bandits of course) and for persuading me to turn back for home.

There was nothing to it but to await the return of Fili and his party and hopefully, Uncle Thorin would be with him.


	17. Hilda Greenhill's Diary 9th Entry

Good news came late in the afternoon on the last day of Foreyule. Kili and I were playing a game of Hnefetafl in the living room when a very breathless and excited Ori burst in. 

"Thorin and Fili are back," he said. 

"Let's go," Kili said, wincing as he stood up too quickly. The wound was still painful for him if he made sudden movements. I wanted to tell him to be careful, but he was getting fed up of his mother fussing over him all the time since the injury, so I didn't say anything.

"Any news of the orcs?" Kili asked Ori as we walked towards the mead hall.

"I don't know. I didn't stay around long enough to find out," Ori replied.

"We can find out later," I said. I had a few questions of my own, mainly relating to what happened to my farm, but I figured that they could wait.

By the time we got to the mead hall, we found that most of the dwarves had already gathered there and it was quite difficult to push through the crowd. Ori went in front of us, trying to make a path for us through the press of dwarves, but most were ignoring him. Without counting the children, Ori is one of the youngest dwarves in the settlement and he isn't much of a warrior and given his lack of interest in mining, I think the other dwarves found it easy to over look him. That was until one of the dwarves saw Kili and climbed up onto one of the tables. It was a dwarf I had not met before, to my knowledge. Later, I learnt that his name is Bofur. 

"Ey up, Kili. Ah hear tha wer in a feight wi' a boar an' lost," he said. 

Nori started singing this song, and the younger dwarves joined in.

Wheear 'as ta bin sin ah saw thee,  
On t' Tor baht 'at?!  
Wheear 'as ta bin sin ah saw thee?

On t' Tor baht 'at?!  
On t' Tor baht 'at?!

Tha's been a cooartin' a hobbit lass  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Tha's been a cooartin' a hobbit lass  
An' we all got wet

On t' Tor baht 'at   
On t' Tor baht 'at   
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Wer t' elves play rugby

Tha's bahn t'catch thi deeath o'cowd  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Tha's bahn t'catch thi deeath o'cowd  
Wit' ought thi trousers on 

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Wer t' sheep fly backards

Then wi shall ha' to bury thee  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Then wi shall ha' to bury thee

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at 

Then t'wyrms 'll come an' eat thee oop  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Then t'wyrms 'll come an' eat thee oop

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at

Then ducks 'll come an' eat oop t'wyrms  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Then ducks 'll come an' eat oop t'wyrms

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at

Then wi shall go an' ate oop t' ducks  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Then wi shall go an' ate oop t' ducks 

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Wer t' ducks play footy 

Then wi shall all 'ave etten thee  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
Then wi shall all 'ave etten thee 

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at

That's wheer wi get us oahn back  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
That's wheer wi get us oahn back 

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at 

There is a moral to this tale  
Don't go a courtin' a hobbit lass  
Don't go wit' ought yer hat  
Don't go a courtin' a hobbit lass  
Don't go wit' ought yer hat  
On t' Tor baht 'at

On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at  
On t' Tor baht 'at   
When courtin' allus wear a hat

It was a crude song and extremely embarrassing. If there was any moment in my life that I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me, then that was it. I'm sure Kili felt the same. When the song finished, an imposing dwarf made his way through the crowd towards us. He had no problem getting through. 

"Uncle Thorin, it is good that you are back," Kili said.

Thorin hugged his nephew. "You shouldn't really be here," he said, in reference to Kili's injury. "But now that you are here, you may as well stay." 

Thorin turned to me. "Join us, little hobbit. Dis told me what you did for my nephew."

I felt a little awkward as I joined them. Dis and Fili were already at the table. 

"Uncle, did you catch up with the orcs?" Kili asked.

"We'll discuss that another time," Thorin replied. 

I wanted to know what had happened at the farm, but given Thorin's response to Kili's question, I doubted that Thorin would have answered it at that moment. It also did not feel right to be talking of such things when we were celebrating Thorin's return. Some time later, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Balin and Dwalin joined us, and I wondered if they were going to bring up the subject of the orcs, but they didn't.

"Tha might want to go easy on the mead, lass," Balin said to me. "It's strong stuff."

One thing I noticed was that dwarves have appalling table manners, so much so that I think it would have given my mother an heart attack had she witnessed it. It was not something which had been apparent before, but it could be that the community had been made up mainly of dwarf women before Thorin's return, or it could be that the return of Thorin combined with the excitement of Yule had made them more boisterous than I had previously seen them. There were food fights, drinking contests, Nori and Gloin in particular drank each other under the table. On a dare, Ori and Gimli drank mead until they were both sick, much to their mothers' consternation. Gloa blamed Gloin on being a bad influence on Gimli. Miraculously, there were no serious fights, even though there was a lot of grumbling and arguing among the dwarves. 

Thorin called for music and the dwarves who weren't too drunk to play responded.

That was how the Yule celebrations began.


	18. Kili's Journal, 9th Entry  (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

As midnight approached, I went outside to get some fresh air. I needed it and though I was glad that Uncle Thorin and Fili had returned, I did not feel up to being in a crowd because of my wound. Hilda was sat on the steps watching Trotter nosing around in the snow. I sat down beside her.

"It's cold to be sitting out here," I said.

"I needed to get out of there for a while. Your people are welcoming, but -"

"You miss them," I finished, referring to her family.

"I did forget that they were gone for a short while, but - I really don't know how to describe it," Hilda said.

"You don't need to, at least, not to me," I said.

"Your mother told me what had happened to your father," Hilda said. "And your grandfather and uncle."

"I knew my father," Kili said. "My grandfather and Uncle Frerin were gone before Fili and I were born."

"Is it easier, not knowing them?" Hilda asked.

I did not know how to answer that question. Was it? "I don't know," I answered, finally. 

We sat for a while looking at the winter stars. The lack of cloud cover made it colder than it would have been had it been over cast, but it also made the air crisp and fresh which helped to revitalise me. I thought now would be a good time to give Hilda the pendant I had been making for her.

"At Yule, we exchange gifts with close friends and family, and I have something for you," I said. 

"Hobbits do the same thing," Hilda said, wiping her eyes. 

"It is just something I made for you shortly after we arrived here," I said, holding it out to her. "I was hoping that it would cheer you up a bit, after your loss." Words seemed inadequate, as I knew that it wouldn't make up for what she had lost, but I wanted her to know that she didn't have to go through it alone. 

"I have never seen anything like this," she said. "What is it made of?"

"Mithril," I replied. "We don't have a lot of it left and it is one of the last pieces."

"It's beautiful," she said and then she kissed me. I really wished at that moment that I wasn't injured.


	19. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 10th Entry

20th Afteryule, 2940

The winter weather has meant that there has been little to do since the end of Yule, so most of the time I have been writing in my journal to get up to this point. Thorin and the dwarves who had been hunting the orcs had stopped at the farm to deal with my family's remains. It makes it sound so clinical when I write it that way. Unfortunately the orcs are still out there. Thorn had lost track of them in part due to the snow storm and the delay caused by burying my family. I am grateful to them for taking the time to do that.

I would like to go to the farm when the weather has improved, so see if there is anything salvageable and to see with my own eyes what Thorin and the dwarves did. I don't think that I could live there, though, even if the farm is habitable. Knowing what had happened there would make it impossible for me. 

To be honest, I have no clue of what I am supposed to do now, if I am supposed to do anything. Dis has said that I can stay as long as I like. I guess after all the losses she has experienced in her life that she has some idea how I feel. Where will the strength come from to rebuild, if that is what I decide I want to do? I don't think I have it. A lot happened after I arrived in Ered Luin, especially Kili's injury and it did offer a distraction so that I didn't have to deal with the loss of the farm straight away, but since the Yule celebration, the loss of my family is all that has been on my mind. Just how does one recover from the ruins of their life?

Solmath would have been the month when the sheep had their lambs, but this year their won't be any. Of course, this pales in comparison to the loss of my family, but it deepens the loss. I am not looking forward to the coming year. I really don't know how I will get through it. These aren't admissions I would make to anyone and so I write them in this diary instead. 

I do not think we have seen the last of the orcs.


	20. Kili's Journal, 10th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

21st Afteryule, 2940 - Early morning

I have started using the hobbit calendar in the journal because the dwarven calendar is difficult to calculate. Hilda tells me that today is the twenty-first day of Afteryule. I am finally recovered from the hunting accident. Hilda is beginning to worry me. Ever since the end of Yule, she has become more withdrawn and it is difficult convincing her to take her meals in the meadhall and she only goes out of the cottage now to see to Crowberry and the ponies. I can't always spend time with her now that I've recovered because Uncle Thorin needs me to help scout for signs of the orcs coming this way. I have spoken to Mam about it and she has asked Lyngheid and Lofnheid to spend time with her. 

Of the two oldest daughters of Dwalin, Lyngheid takes after him the most. She would have been out with the orc hunting party had her father and mother let her. I told her about Hilda's wish to learn how to defend herself, knowing that she would welcome a sparing partner. However, I hoped more that it would give Hilda a reason to get out of the cottage. 

This morning, I am due to go out on a patrol with Fili, Dwalin, Gloin, Gimli, Bild and Nori. Gloin had convinced Dwalin and Gloa that it was time that Gimli was given more responsibility.

Nori was coming with us so that we could keep him from causing more problems in the town. During the last month, he has been responsible for a fight at the Cabbage (the inn in town) with the men from the supply train over cheating at gambling, tool thefts from the mines Fili had sent him to work in to make up for his original tea-leafing, among other activities and these are the few things we know about. Dori was worried about the bad influence Nori was having on Ori.


	21. Kili's Journal, 11th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

21st Afteryule, 2940 - Midday

We stopped around midday though it was difficult to tell because the clouds obscured the sun. There has been no sign of orc activity so far. Perhaps they have moved on? It is a pity that they couldn't have moved on sooner.


	22. Kili's Journal, 12th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

21st Afteryule, 2940 - Evening

Night draws in quickly, even though we are past the winter solstice. Because there has been no sign of orcs, Dwalin has said that it is safe to make a fire. Nori is complaining that we could have stayed in an inn - personally, I think he's complaining because there is nothing of value for him to steal around here! 

Fili and Gimli are amusing themselves by playing a game of Hnefetafl, using my board and pieces. Dwalin, Bild and Gloin are discussing where we will be going tomorrow while I am ~

(Scruffy spider scrawl across the page)

I managed to get my journal back from Nori. Fortunately, he didn't have chance to read it. I really wish he'd stayed back at Thorin's Gate. Can he read? I don't know. I don't want him to know what I have written about him and there are lots of mentions of Hilda. I'd better keep this out of Ori's clutches as well - I don't think he would appreciate my opinion of Nori. I'd better make sure this journal can't be taken in my sleep.

I miss Hilda's company.


	23. Kili's Journal, 13th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

22nd Afteryule, 2940 - Midday

Orcs attacked in the night. Bild and Gimli are wounded, so we are heading back to Thorin's Gate. I hope we can get back in time to warn them.

Between us, Fili and brought down a warg!

Nori scarpered during the attack and no one's seen him since. I genuinely hope that nothing bad happens to him, even though if it did, he would only have himself to blame. 

Gloa is not going to be happy that Gimli has been hurt.


	24. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 11th Entry

22nd Afteryule, 2940

The morning Dwalin's patrol left, Lyngheid approached me to ask if I wanted to learn how to use a sword. I suspect that Kili had told her about our conversation just before Yule. I said that I would and in the afternoon of the next day, Lyngheid and I met up to practice. We started with wooden swords, mainly because I had never handled a sword before. I was glad, because I found that it was heavy and I am quite clumsy as a result. Trotter had followed us and had laid down to watch. 

We were joined by Lofnheid and Ori.

We had decided to take a short break when Trotter let out an excited bark and ran off down the incline. Lyngheid and I dropped our wooden swords and went after him, with Ori and Lofnheid close behind us.

After running for a few yards, we saw what had made Trotter so excited. It was the return of Dwalin and the patrol. Fili and Kili were helping an injured Bild and Dwalin and Gloin were helping Gimli between them. 

Dwalin called to his younger daughter. "Lofnheid, run up to the mead hall and tell Thorin that we're back and we were attacked by orcs."

"Where's Nori?" Ori asked.

"We don't know, laddie," said Gloin. "We were unable to find him after the orcs attacked us."

Ori started walking towards the treeline. 

"Where's tha off to?" Gloin asked.

Ori stopped and turned round. "I'm going to find Nori," he answered.

Dwalin nodded to Lyngheid. 

"No, you aren't, Ori," she said.

"I'm sure Nori can look after himself," I said. I didn't like the idea of leaving Nori out there anymore than Ori did, but I didn't think it was wise for anyone to go out alone with orcs about.

Between us, Lyngheid, Dwalin and I persuaded Ori not to go out there, myself using logic, Lyngheid and Dwalin using more direct means. Fili and Kili didn't say anything throughout the exchange and I know what their response would have been if it had been either of them alone in the wilderness with orcs in the area. 

We took Bild and Gimli to the cottage and it didn't take long for the cottage to be crammed with dwarves. What I find alarming is the closeness of the orcs to Thorin's Gate. 

The following is an account as to what happened, as good as I can make it out:

The patrol had not seen any sign of orc activity all day and they had deemed it safe to set up a camp with a fire. The dwarves took it in turn to keep watch, with two of them on watch at a time. It was during Nori's and Bild's watch that the orcs attacked. Bild tried to fight an orc off, but was injured in the fight. She managed to warn Gimli and Gloin and they were able to warn the rest of the dwarves. Gimli was injured very early on in the attack and Fili and Kili gave an account of how they took down one of the wargs. 

The orc pack, fortunately, wasn't that big and Dwalin put forward the idea that they were scouts for a larger group of orcs and wargs. After Fili and Kili had taken the warg down, the orcs broke off their attack.

A search was made for Nori, but no body was found and there was no indication that he had been injured. It is assumed that he took the opportunity of the orc attack to slip away. I don't know what to believe. I find it hard to fathom that he would desert the patrol, but can't discount it because of his deviant behaviour. 

I saw Ori storm out of the cottage and I wondered if I should follow him, but I saw Lofnheid go out after him and figured she wouldn't allow him to do anything foolish. It is strange to be caught in the middle like this. I don't doubt the word of Fili and Kili and the others, but I don't like to see the effect Nori's behaviour has on Ori.

The rest of the dwarves are more concerned with the prospect of an attack on the town by orcs than on Nori's fate, and I can't really blame them.


	25. Kili's Journal, 14th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

22nd Afteryule, 2940, Evening

It was too crowded at home as Uncle Thorin, Mam, Balin, Dwalin and others decided what to do about the orcs, so Fili, Hilda, and I headed over to the Cabbage. Ori and Lofnheid joined us. News of the orcs must have spread quickly because when we got there, the innkeeper, a human man named Baldric, was telling the patrons a strange tale of events that occurred in the time of one of his ancestors.

"There was a time when there was peace between the town and the orcs," Baldric was saying. "It was before their lot arrived." He pointed at us as we sat down at a table. "Stirring things up with Azog."

I was just about to say something, Ori stopped me. "This sounds interesting," he said.

"Oh aye, hobbit lass," Baldric said to Hilda. "If tha wants someone to blame for the ruin of your farm, it should be those whose company tha keeps."

"I know who to blame for my family's death, inn-keep," Hilda replied, clearly not liking what the innkeeper had to say. "And it isn't those who saved my life."

A man at the bar whom the innkeeper had been talking to when we came in said, "You might think differently when you hear Baldric has to say."

"Let's hear it, then," I said, turning to Fili, who looked like he was about to deck the innkeep. "It's probably cobswallop, anyway."

Now the innkeeper Baldric , son of Baldric, comes from a long line of Baldrics, (there really isn't a lot of creativity in his family line when it comes to names) all innkeepers at the Cabbage (as I've heard, anyway), except for the first innkeeper of the Cabbage, who had been a bloke called Eorl. Before setting up the inn, Eorl had been a turnip grower and dung collector (I imagine he used the dung for fertiliser, but being a dwarf, I really don't know much about farming - perhaps I could ask Hilda?) who had fallen on hard times. He attempted to grow a crop of cabbages instead, but it didn't work out and he tried his hand at innkeeping instead (I don't know how he managed to become in possession of an inn when he was broke, that part of the story has never been made clear). Hence why the inn is called the Cabbage.

The current Baldric still grows turnips, and occasionally attempts to grow cabbages and other vegetables with varying success. He doesn't keep up with the tradition of collecting dung, though (at least, not beyond what is necessary to grow vegetables) because you can't have an inn festooned with dung and expect that people would want to eat and drink there.

"It happened about two hundred to two hundred and fifty years ago."

"Well, meke thi mind up when it wer," said an aging human man, a retired local farmer. I've quite forgotten his name.

"I think I know the story," said an old human woman who was sat at a table in the corner by the window. A raven was perched on the table and she had a deck of tarot cards laid down on the table in front of her which she was arranging. "It would have been the year 2715, to my reckoning."

"What she said," said Baldric the barkeep.

I had a feeling that this was going to be an amusing story, even if it turned out to be a load of bunkum.

Fili caught the attention of the inn's serving wench and asked for mead. She fixed Hilda and Lofnheid with a glare, but went off to fetch some.

"The town wer being plagued wi' undead rats," said Baldric. "Set upon us by a foul necromancer."

"Ee, Baldric, ah think tha's bin sampling too much o' thi stock!" said the retired farmer.

I grinned at Fili. "What did I say? Cobswallp," I said.

"It's true," said Baldric. "Anyways, this necromancer wer causing trouble all round 'ere wi' his foul creations. Many folk from t' countryside kem 'ere fo' refuge an' t' town's mayor decided t' conscript militia t' deal wi' problem. He formed a group consisting o' a Gnome cleric, a human bard, an half-orc barbarian, an elf sorcerer, a human ranger and a human druid. T' druid had a pet wolf."

"An half-orc an' a gnome? This just gets better," quipped the retired farmer.

"Ah know. Meke's their story of a fire-breathing dragon look believable," said the man at the bar, pointing at us.

"Naw tell, mi, Baldric," said the retired farmer. "Wi' all these undead, wer there any mammies?"

"Now shut up, Breid," said Baldric. "And let me tell the story!"

"Alraight, Baldric," said Breid.

"One more word aught o' thee and tha barred!"

"Tha allus seys that, an' then forgets it."

"Ah mean it, this time!"

"Tha allus seys that, an' all!"

"Raight, that's it. Gerr out!"

"You know something, Fili? We should come here more often for the free entertainment," I said.

"Agreed," Fili said.

"What happened next?" asked the man by the bar.

"The Gnome's company stayed right 'ere at t' Cabbage. It has bin rebuilt, tha knows, due t' t' incident wi' t' tree wizard, an' t' giant badger."

"A tree wizard and giant badgers? C' mon, tha just mekeing this up, naw," said the man at the bar.

"It did happen," insisted the innkeeper. "At least, that's what mi grandfather told me, and his grandfather told him."

"Oh aye? Had he bin at t' mead anall when he tell thee?"

"Ah'll bar thee, if tha doesn't shut thi gob!" said Baldric.

"Naw that carn't bar everyone. Wer would tha get thi money from then?"

The innkeeper had nothing to counter that logic, so he continued with his tale.

"The Gnome's Company cleared aught an infestation o' string beasts, an' sorted aught a smuggling gang while thay were 'ere, but t' necromancer's creations wer causing more havoc aught in t' countryside. A band o' orcs started raiding settlements on t' outskirts o' town."

"Sounds familiar," said Fili.

"You don't think this necromancer could be stirring up trouble again, do you?" Ori asked. "It would explain things."

"T' mayor sent t' Gnome an' his company aught t' deal wi' t' orcs. Thay discovered that t' orcs had been driven aught o' their village by t' necromancer's creations an' t' druid convinced t' orcs that thay had a mutual enemy in t' necromancer an' offered t' help 'em reclaim their 'omeland if t' orcs helped 'em defeat t' necromancer. There wer peace round 'ere until t' dwarves showed kem. They stirred things up at Moria an' started a war."

Could it be that Uncle Thorin, Grandfather and Great-Grandfather are responsible for stirring up the orcs? The old woman got to her feet.

"You tell a good tale, innkeeper," she said. "And what you say is partially true." The raven, which had been perched on the window sill, hopped off and flew the short distance to land on the old woman's shoulder.

"How does tha know that?" asked the man at the bar.

"I am the druid from Nikabrik's company, though I have not seen him for years. I am Irieaga Stöngullvlfur. The orcs broke the peace long before the arrival of the dwarves from Erebor, though I doubt their war with the orcs improved the situation."

"You're the druid? You could help us Ered Luin from the orcs," said Fili to Irieaga.

The old woman regretfully shock her head. "It is not my place to interfere in the affairs of dwarves and orcs."

"You fought against the necromancer," I said. "Why is this any different?"

"The necromancer upset the natural balance. He was a threat to the natural world. I could not allow that to continue."

"What if you helped draw up a new peace between the town and the orcs? If it was done once, it could be done again," said Ori.

Both Fili and I looked at Ori as if he was mad.

Lofnheid spoke. "The king would never go for it."

"That is precisely why I do not interfere wit the affairs of dwarves, elves, men and orcs. They are forever posturing and fighting over politics and past wrongs done to each other, to such an extent that neither side can recall what they are fighting over any longer. In the end, who has the higher moral ground? None, for they have all committed atrocities of equal horror against the other."

"But peace would solve the problem," Ori pointed out.

"It would, if all sides wanted it, but unfortunately, none ever do."

The raven took to flight off the old woman's shoulder, landed on the table in front of Hilda and cawed at her. The a curious thing occurred. Trotter walked over to the old woman and sat down in front of her.

"Is he yours?" Irieaga asked Hilda, stroking Trotter's head as she spoke.

"Yes," Hilda replied.

"Come to my grove, when you are ready," Irieaga said, and she gave Hilda directions, after which she and the raven left.

As she was leaving, Baldric asked, "Got any string beasts for sale?"

Irieaga ignored him.

"Cracked old crone," said the man by the bar.

I did not really know what to make of the story. Was it true, or just a load of hogwash? I filed it away to ask Uncle Thorin and Mam about it.


	26. Kili's Journal, 15th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

23rd Afteryule, 2940 Early morning

It was almost midnight when we went back home. Ori escorted Lofnheid home. I am sure there's something going on between those two, but I have yet to confirm it. At the moment, it is just a suspicion. We came upon Mam and Uncle Thorin in the sitting room. Uncle Thorin was looking through some correspondence with the Jarls of the dwarf clans and Mam was reading a book. After asking how Bild and Gimli were doing, Fili brought up the subject of the druid woman.

"I know of her," said Uncle Thorin. "She comes to Balin's office at the library to complain when she finds hunting traps set out in the mountains and when we fell trees for building materials and fuel. What of it?"

I related the strange tale of the necromancer, the undead creatures and the peace with the orcs.

Uncle Thorin laughed. "Faerie tales," said Uncle Thorin, dismissively. "There will never be peace with orcs, Kili."

"Thorin, I don't think you should discount this so easily," Mam said, closing her book. "If there is a necromancer stirring the orcs up -"

"Where's the evidence, Dis?" Uncle Thorin interrupted her. "I've not seen any zombie vermin running around the place."

"So, you aren't even going to consider it a possibility?" Mam asked.

"No. The old woman's mind is addled," Uncle Thorin answered, looking at us. "And I thought you two would know better than to listen to tavern talk."

With that, Uncle Thorin left the sitting room.

I glanced at Mam.

"Mam, do you want me to find out if this tale is true?" Fili asked.

"It wouldn't hurt, Fili, thank you," Mam replied. "There has been enough dwarf blood spilt on account of war with the orcs. If more can be avoided, then that is a good thing. The difficulty will be getting your boar-headed Uncle to listen. Pride and arrogance is a terrible thing."

I had to agree. I sometimes wonder if Mam would have made a wiser ruler than my Uncle. Mam then said she had to check on Gimli and Bild.

"Will you visit the old woman?" I asked Hilda.

"It looks like I don't have a choice," Hilda replied.


	27. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 12th Entry

23rd Afteryule, 2940

First of all, I don't know if I was ready to see the old woman from the evening before. I don't even know what her cryptic message means, if that makes sense. Kili is going to escort me to her grove, and Fili has been summoned to a meeting to discuss the orc activities by his Uncle. 

I saw that Thorin was sat with Bild as I passed the room she was resting up in in the cottage. Thorin thought that Kili and I were just going out to exercise the ponies and had no idea of our true purpose, which was just as well given his reaction last night. But I think he was occupied with Bild's incapacity and would not have noticed us even going out.

I decided to bring Crowberry along. She was too large for myself or any of the dwarves to ride (even if she had been a riding horse) and there was precious little for her to do now that the farm was gone, so perhaps the druid would find a use for her.

Trotter, as usual, accompanied us.

We found Irieaga sat in the centre of a stone circle with a small fire and what appeared to be a bowl filled with water in front of her. 

"Welcome, hobbit," she said, turning her gaze on us. "I have been expecting you."

"You knew we were coming?" I asked.

"Scrying is a skill of the druids, though it is not always accurate, or can be misinterpreted. It allows us to see a great many things, including the predicament which brought you to Ered Luin."

"You saw what happened at Hilda's farm?" Kili asked, a touch of anger in his voice. "If you have the power to see that, why didn't you stop it?"

It was something I wanted to know the answer to as well. "In other words, what is the point in having power if you don't use it to prevent evil things from occurring?" I asked.

"As I have already explained, Kili nephew of Thorin Oakenshield and Hilda Greenhill, I cannot interfere with the affairs of dwarves, orcs or even hobbits. I can only act when there is a danger to the fauna and flora of Middle-earth."

"I don't trust her," Kili said in my ear. "If you don't want me to leave you here, just say the word."

"I will be honest with you," Irieaga said. "I am an old woman, and even though I have the long life of the Dunedain, my time is coming to an end. I am obliged to pass on my knowledge to another druid before I die, and you, Hilda Greenhill, your rapport with animals makes you a suitable candidate."

Irieaga got to her feet and using her staff as support, she walked over to Crowberry. 

"I see you have brought a friend," she said.

I explained why I had brought her.

"I have no use for a horse, but she is welcome to stay, as are all animals," Irieaga said.

The old woman turned to Kili. "You have done a good deed, brining Hilda to me, dwarf, and you are a friend to animals and growing things, even if you lack the heart of a druid. However, I am forbidden to reveal druid secrets to an outsider and must ask you to leave us."

"Will you be safe with the orcs around?" Kili asked.

The old woman laughed. "The orcs won't bother us, and if they do, I am not as helpless as I may appear, Kili. I will send my raven when Hilda wishes to go back to Ered Luin. And don't think to spy on us from the woods. I shall know if you do."

Kili and I said our goodbyes and I watched his departure until he was out of sight. 

"What happened to the necromancer?" I asked. The fate of the necromancer intrigued me greatly and I thought it best to ask directly.

"He was defeated, or we at least put a stop to his attacks using the undead. If he was mortal, he would be long dead by now."

"But you are uncertain?" I asked.

"It is difficult to be certain of the fate of ones with power such as he."

"Why did you tell Kili that he doesn't have the heart of a druid?"

"On the whole, dwarves are good, but they are too easily corrupted by greed, they plunder the earth in search of wealth and don't always value the lives of other living things as they should."

We went inside the druid's home, a ramshackle structure at the edge of the grove and Trotter followed us. 

"First, we shall discus the druid's animal companion, as I see that you already have a candidate for that."


	28. Kili's Journal, 16th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

23rd Afteryule, 2940 - Midmorning

Along the way back, I stopped to write in my journal. I wasn't happy leaving Hilda with the old woman and have misgivings over their ability to cope with an orc attack, in spite of the old woman's assurances if one occurred, but if I stayed out in the forest, it would worry Mam and she would have dwarves out looking for us. I don't know what I am going to tell Uncle Thorin about Hilda's absence.


	29. Kili's Journal, 17th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

23rd Afteryule, 2940 - Afternoon

I found Mam working at the forge when I got back just after noon. The way she had been hammering at the metal when I rode up to the cottage indicated to me that something was wrong. I informed her of Hilda's whereabouts.

"You'd best get inside," she said, laying down her tools. "Your Uncle wants to speak to you. I'll see to Bungo."

I went inside the cottage to find my Uncle, Balin, Gloin, Dwalin, Fili and Dori gathered around a map. Uncle Thorin looked up as I entered.

"So, the wanderer finally decides to turn up," Uncle Thorin said. "Bofur, bring Kili up to speed with what we've discussed already."

Bofur and Bifur were in the corridor which is why I'd not seen them at first.

"Don't worry, Kili," Bofur said to me after I had made my way over to him. "Thorin's been acting like a boar wi' a sore head all day."

Are they ever going to let that incident with the wild boar drop?


	30. Kili's Journal, 18th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

23rd Afteryule, 2940 - Evening

While looking through the archives, I found a small map of Thorin's Gate that Ori had made a while back and put in my journal, because it would be easier to explain the plans to defend the town from attack. There are two weak points at the south of Thorin's Gate where there are passes through the mountains. The river to the west acts as a natural barrier to attack, but we can't rule out that an attack won't come from that direction, so we are planning to take a reconnaissance party out that way to look for signs of orcs. To the east, there is a pass through the mountains where there is a small elven settlement, called the Refuge of Edhelion. We trade with them sometimes, but there is an uneasy truce between them and the town. I think we tolerate each other because we both share the orcs as enemies. 

Balin has of course, sent messages to the elves of Edhelion to warn them of the recent attacks so the elves can be ready for them if they attack from the east. Personally? I think an attack from the orcs is most likely to come through the south-east pass. It is not as well guarded as the other approaches and there is no natural barrier there to hinder their passage. 

We are stepping up patrols to look for signs of the orcs and I will be going out with one again in a few days. We plan to patrol lands west of the town.

From time to time I glanced out the of window in my room, as I update my journal, wondering what is happening to Hilda. I now regret escorting her to the druid's grove. She would be safer here. I saw that snow was once again descending from the sky.

It is the waiting that is the hardest part, and most mentally draining. I noticed that Vif and Dwalin's son, Nali and their daughter Lyndheid were quieter than normal in the mead hall at the evening meal, as were the other children, in spite of Bofur's attempts at making them laugh. They picked up on the tension of the adults. My Uncle was absent from the mead hall that evening, and was spending the time with Bild, so Mam and Fili had the job of hosting it. Gloin and Gloa were missing as well, as they were with Gimli. 

Quite a lot of the folk in the town had moved to the mead hall, mostly the old, a few women without men in their household and those with young families as a precaution against an orc attack. I don't know if there was any difference in safety by them doing that, but they sort the comfort of numbers.

I didn't each much, not because I was worried about an attack on Thorin's Gate. I doubted that the orcs would have the courage to attack, but because of Hilda being out there alone with nothing but an old woman, a sheepdog, a horse and a raven to protect her from harm. 

I heard a knock on the door and a moment later Mam walked in carrying a bowl of stew. I thanked her, because although I didn't feel like eating, I was hungry enough to eat it, even though I didn't want to. We talked as I ate, and somehow, she managed to get me to talk about what had been bothering me, and I think she was beginning to suss out that I had feelings for Hilda, and although I didn't want to let on, there was no hiding things from my own mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The map is a graphic from Lord of the Rings online.


	31. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 13th Entry

24th Afteryule, 2940

Irieaga has begun to teach me a druidic language called Ogham which I am not allowed to divulge to non-druids. She is aware of my diary and tells me that if I want to write about what I learn, I should write it in Ogham. She said that it would be useful for me to keep a record of the spells I learn, and how I learnt it and how I make it work for me, because I will need to pass my knowledge on to someone else one day. She has given me books on the arcane to read, which is going quite slowly because they are written in Ogham and it will take me some time to learn it fully. 

The good thing? It takes my mind off the attack on the farm and the loss of my family. The bad? I don't like being away from Kili. I miss him. 

Yesterday she went through the various skills that she would be teaching me. A druid is forbidden to wear metal armor, as it interferes with their ability to cast spells. She told me this was one of the reasons dwarves tend to be unsuitable candidates for being a druid. They work with metals all the time. Irieaga herself is proficient with a quarterstaff and she said that she would teach it to me. I am a bit dubious over that. So far, I have proved useless with combat skills. It doesn't come naturally to me at all. She told me that all I needed was practice. I am not so sure on that account. I told her about the practice I'd had with Lyngheid and she said that quarterstaff combat was different, lighter and more reliant on agility than sword fighting. She said that without combat skills, druids, though powerful because of our spells, are vulnerable in battle. 

She told me about her animal companions - her current one was the raven. She's had many over the years of her life, the first one being a wolf. Druids have the ability to communicate and understand animals but it helped to have a natural report with them to begin with. She had many animals in the mountains that were friendly to her, including some creatures which the dwarves would have been weary of (like the wolf that had been her original animal companion). The wolf was long dead, but her descendants roamed the mountains. They avoided conflict with the dwarves, elves and men of the region, mainly because of the connection they had with the druid. I think this explained why we had so little trouble with the wolves preying on our livestock. 

If anyone had suggested to me a year ago that I would be doing this, I would not have believed them.


	32. Kili's Journal, 19th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

30th Afteryule, 2940 - Early Morning

When Fili, Bofur, Dwalin, Ori, Lyngheid and I rode our ponies within sight of the lake to the west of the town, we encountered a most curious sight. A group of elves had traveled to the lake and were ice dancing on the frozen lake. Most of them appeared to be female, but I am embarrassed to admit that I had difficulty telling the genders apart. Dwalin grumbled something under his breath, something about them trespassing in dwarf lands.

"Well, will tha look at that?" Lyngheid exclaimed. "It is positively indecent."

"Aye, that it is," agreed her father.

"Let's hope the ice breaks," said Bofur.

Ori and Fili laughed, which made Dwalin glare at them.

That was all I caught of the conversation because I was mesmerised by the graceful display. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my life. I failed to notice that the other dwarves had started to had started to head towards the lake until Dwalin shouted at me. "Kili, stop gawking at those flipping elves," (Except he didn't use the word flipping). "And git darn 'ere!"

"And stop pretending that staring at scantily clad elven women is a spiritual experience," Lyngheid added with disgust.

"Has tha forgot about tha wee hobbit lassie already?" Bofur asked as I drew up along side him. "And don't mind Lyngheid -"

A glare from Lyngheid stopped Bofur from elaborating any further. 

We left the ponies before going on.

As we drew near, one of the elves sighted us and called a warning to the other elves. They stopped skating and gathered together. They didn't appear to have bows trained on us, so Fili, Dwalin and I adopted a casual approach as we got closer.

"State your business, elf," Dwalin said.

While the elf introduced himself, I noticed a raven alight in a tree nearby. The bird seemed to be watching us intently. For a brief moment, I thought of Hilda and the old woman. Could it be the same raven? I really wasn't paying much attention to what the elf was saying, and missed his name, but he did say that they were from the elven settlement to the east and had come to the lake for recreational purposes. 

"It's not really a good time to be travelling," Fili said, and assuming that they had not got Balin's message, informed them of the troubles caused by the orcs, starting with the initial reports we'd had at the beginning of (what did Hilda call it?) Foreyule, the raid on her farm, followed by the reports of the same band and ending with the most recent attack on the patrol in which Bild and Gimli had been injured.

Throughout it all, Bofur was adding his own colourful, but grizzly embellishments to the account. One of the elven women was beginning to look rather pale as the account went on and Fili, noticing her distress, caught her as she fainted. A dark glare from Dwalin caused Bofur to finally shut his trap, but that was nothing compared to the look he gave Fili as he held the elf maiden in his arms.

Two elf women moved forward and took her to one side to recover.

Bofur elbowed me. "Don't have much constitution do they?"

"Is she alright?" Ori asked.

While we had been talking, the raven had been slowly moving closer to us and I was growing more convinced that the raven was familiar. The raven seemed to be quite agitated and I started moving towards it. Instead of moving away from me, or taking to the air as I had expected, the raven gave out a loud cry at my approach and stood its ground. It was then that I knew for sure that the raven belonged to the old woman. Did Hilda want to come back to Thorn's Gate so soon?

Suddenly, there was a blood curdling Warg howl. I have heard the call of normal wolves before, and though they can be startling, they did not frighten me as this did. I have also heard the screams of courting foxes in winter and the sound is no where near as awful as the howls of Wargs. The raven took to the air then, and I watched its flight. It was flying to the south east, in the direction of the old woman's grove. Worse still, I could see smoke rising from that place.

"So finally, they come," Fili said. He turned to the elf he had been conversing with. "Is this all of your people?"

"Edhelion is a small settlement, so yes."

"Then I offer your people sanctuary at Thorin's Gate," Fili said.

Dwalin took Fili to one side. "Your Uncle's not going to like it."

"My Uncle's not here."

While that exchange was taking place, I was headed towards Bungo. 

"Ey Kili, where's tha gooing?" Bofur asked.

I learnt later that Fili told Ori and Lyngheid to escort the elves back to the Cabbage, but Lyngheid followed us anyway. I just hoped that it wasn't too late by the time we got there. Bungo can be quite fleet of foot when needed and it was only when I was about half way to the druid's grove that I noticed that the others had followed. Dwalin, on his pony, Daisy, and Lyngheid drew up on either side of me. (Dwalin swears that it was his youngest daughter who had named the beast -). Dwalin did not look happy with me and I ignored his shouts to stop, which only made him angrier. I am sure he would forgive me when he gets the chance to orcs' heads, that is, if he decides not to go for me once we get there. I slowed Bungo down as we got near the druid's grove and menacing growling could be heard up ahead. Fili and Bofur caught up with us at this point and Fili told me I was an idiot. He's probably right. 

We heard a scream coming from one of the trees and again, the menacing growling.

"Wargs?" Lyngheid asked.

The raven appeared again and gave out another load cry.

"You've been following that thing?" Dwalin asked me.

I nodded. "You recognise it?" I asked Fili.

"Yes."

It was at that moment that a wolverine crashed through the undergrowth towards the commotion up ahead. Fili explained to Dwalin and Bofur what had happened in the Cabbage a few nights ago.

"The old hag whose always complaining to Thorin -" began Dwalin.

"She's bonkers. I thought she'd kicked the bucket," Bofur said.

"She soon will have if we don't hurry," I said.

We spurred the ponies onward and we came upon the grove. The druid's house was aflame and the wolverine, along with a bear and a lynx were fighting with the wargs. The old woman was holding off one of the orcs with a quarterstaff. One of the wargs was leaping up at a tree and there was another scream. I drew my bow and took aim at the warg, as I figured it must have been after Hilda. I was concentrating so much on getting a good shot at the creature, that I didn't notice the orc that took a swing at me. Luckily for me, Fili had and it was the orc's head rolling on the ground and not my own.

Lyngheid, ever fearless, barreled into the fray alongside her father, and they made a good team, Dwalin striking out at the orcs with his axes and Lyngheid fighting them with her sword.

"Kili!"

I looked up at the tree that the warg had been leaping at and saw Hilda sat in its branches. I called up to her to stay where she was. The fight was intense and felt like it went on a lot longer than it actually did. 

Thankfully, all of us survived, even if we did take a battering and Lyngheid in particular received a wound. The wolverine and the lynx unfortunately were wounded very badly and died from their wounds, but they didn't die a fruitless death for they had taken a warg or two with them. 

When the fight was over, Irieaga stood leaning on her staff for support as she caught her breath.

"So Muninn alerted you," Irieaga said. Now that the fighting was over, there was whimpering that could be heard in the undergrowth. 

The raven, Muninn, landed on the ground and started hoping about. I left Fili and Dwalin talking with the old woman and investigated what the raven was trying to communicate to me. The whimpering got louder as I neared a holly bush. I pulled aside the holly branches, ignoring the prickles of the leaves and found Trotter hiding in it. Poor dog. 

Trotter thumped his tail when we saw me and started to crawl out of the undergrowth. He wagged his tail as he stood up and he let me inspect him for injury and I was glad to see that he was unhurt, but his tail soon curled up between his legs.

Muninn cawed again and flew back to Irieaga. 

The collie followed me back to the other dwarves. 

The brown bear had since disappeared and the other dwarves were putting the fire out before it could spread to the rest of the boreal forest and the druid was inspecting the wolverine and the lynx, sadly. I am not sure that you can make friends of wild creatures, but she acted as if they were.

Hilda had not joined us so I went over to the tree to see if there was anything wrong. In spite of the fact that his mistress was up in the tree, Trotter stayed back. I don't think he liked the sight of the dead Warg.

"Hilda, its safe to come down," I said.

"I know," she replied. She laughed nervously. "I think I'm stuck."

It took some time to get Hilda down out of that blasted tree, and what made the situation worse is that Nori showed up while I was helping her down. I swear, if I hear one more sitting in a tree gag….

I am glad that Nori escaped the Wargs, though, even if he is a nuisance. Dwalin gave Nori a right earful for deserting us, and at one point, it looked like he was going to give him a right good shoeing, with Bofur not being very helpful to the situation (as always), but Fili and I managed to talk him out of it. Just.

Crowberry, having bolted at the scent of the Wargs, had slowly made her way back to the grove and was cropping the sparse grasses next to Bungo and Rowan. There was nothing left of the old woman's house and she reluctantly agreed to come back to Thorin's Gate with us. 

I really could do with a good pint of mead before we went to the meadhall (quite ironic, really). So we went to the Cabbage. It was late afternoon when we arrived.

Baldric turned Nori out of the inn as soon as he stepped through the door. Ori, who had been waiting at the inn with the elves for us, was overjoyed to see his brother safe and well and left the inn with him. I'd hate to be a fly on the wall when Skafid and Dori saw him, mainly because I would have most likely get squashed when the fireworks start. 

The inn was quite crowded but fortunately, Hilda and I managed to sneak away to a quiet corner with our mead. I cannot describe how awful it was to think that the orcs could her killed her, or worse. Yes, the old woman fought off the orcs much better than I'd have given her credit for, but if not for our timely arrival, I don't think either of them would be alive now. 

"There is something I want you to do," I said, taking the opportunity to bring this up while we were alone, relatively speaking.

"What is it?" Hilda asked.

"Meet me at the stables at midnight," I said.

"Why?" Hilda asked.

I noticed that Fili was threading his way through the crowd towards us.

"I don't really have the time to explain it now, but it's really important. Will you do it?"

"I'll be there."

I smiled. "Excellent."

We had just finished the exchange when Fili sat down at our table.

"What is it, brother?" Fili asked. "You're plotting something, I can tell."

"We were just wondering how we are going to break the news to Uncle Thorin about the elves without him going ballistic," I said, hoping to steer Fili away from what I'd just asked Hilda to do. I think I might have taken a bit too long to answer because he didn't believe me. He looked at me, than at Hilda and back again.

"That's not it," Fili said. "But I've a feeling you aren't going to let me in on your secrets."

We drank one round of mead, a pint each for Fili and myself and a half for Hilda, but neither of us felt like we were quite ready to go to the meadhall, to face Uncle Thorin, so we drank another and then a third.

"We can't spend all evening hiding here," Fili said, as he put his empty tankard in the middle of the table. "I'll go and round up our elven guests."


	33. Kili's Journal, 20th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

30th Afteryule, 2940 - Evening

It was not a pretty sight.

Now, when Uncle Thorin goes ballistic, he doesn't shout at you, throws things or even uses his fists. He looks at you coldly and then, frowning, tells you exactly every thought on his mind. He can insult you and dress you down without cursing and swearing at you. He can make even innocuous words sound like an insult, words like elf, grocer and nephew, all without having to raise his voice. He can even make great praise appear to be disapproval. This time it was no different.

"So nephews, you bring elves into my meadhall," he said. "You offer warmth, shelter, hospitality and safety to those who would see our people scrat around in poverty, rather than offer aid with their swords or larders."

Uncle Thorin's words garnered support from the other dwarves in the hall, especially those of my uncle's and grandfather's generation, those old enough to have experienced the sack of Erebor and the years of wandering and war afterwards. Tension was so high that dwarves and elves were on the verge of drawing weapons against each other. Mam, unable to tolerate this got to her feet.

"Sit down, brother," she said. "And cease this rudeness to our guests."

With great reluctance, Uncle Thorin sat down on his throne and brooded, but it wasn't enough for the rest of the dwarves and the elves in the hall. Fili and I exchanged anxious glances with each other.

"I am Dis, Lady of this hall, for my brother has no wife, and you will all heed my words," Mam said. "Violence is forbidden in this hall, and if you cannot put your differences aside, then leave this place. I offer the hall's hospitality to all our guests, the elves included, hospitality that my sons offered with good intentions -"

"Something which they had no authority to do, sister," Uncle Thorin said.

"The orcs are our mutual enemy and save your swords, axes, war-hammers and arrows for them," Mam continued, ignoring our Uncle and turning to the elf Lord. "Please accept my apologies, noble elf, and everything the hall has to offer."

She placed her hand on Uncle Thorin's right shoulder and said quietly to him. "My sons may not be lords of this hall today, brother, but one of them will be king one day and reconciliation with the elves is a wise move and should be supported."

"You are right, dear sister," Uncle Thorin said. "I let my pride get in the way of wisdom."

"Pride and stubbornness are your biggest faults, dear brother."


	34. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 14th Entry

30th Afteryule, 2940 - Evening

Peace was restored somewhat after Dis stepped in, though it was quite obvious that Thorin's ill temper was still simmering below the surface. Kili sought my company, as he usually did in the meadhall and I think people was so used to it by now that no one passed comment on it, though it did draw the curiosity of the elves. Bofur, ever talkative, allowed us to have some peace, at least, by answering the questions they asked. Unfortunately, he has a habit of exaggerating a tale and bending the truth to make it sound more fantastical than it actually was, much our embarssimet and to the amusement of Fili, Ori and Gimli, until Thorin glared at them, and Dori and Gloa told them to shut up. 

The elf woman who had passed out turned out to be the elven lord's daughter, Ravauvial complained about the food - it was too heavy and greasy for her and she asked if there were any greens like cabbage to be had. I did notice Fili glancing in her direction a lot throughout the evening.

"The only cabbage tha'll find round 'ere is t' pub," Bofur informed her.

"There aren't any vegetables at all?" she asked.

"Ah wouldn't sey that," Bofur replied. "There's chips, mashed 'taters, roast 'taters, boiled 'taters, 'taters in the stew. Wi would 'ave had shepherd's pie, curtsey o' our hobbit friend, but t' wargs put a stop t' that."

One of the kitchen women was passing and Ravauvial asked her, "Excuse me, but do you have waldorf salad?"

I don't think she had any idea of what the elf was talking about, and I must admit, that I didn't either really. She looked at the elf maiden.

"I'm sorry, but we're fresh ought o' waldorfs," and went back to the kitchens. 

"You can always have some chips," Ori said, passing her the bowl which contained chips. 

"That's alright. I think I'll eat later," she said.

Ori looked at Dori and his mother. "What exactly goes into a waldorf salad?" he asked tentatively. 

"Eat thi chips, Ori," his mother replied.

"Tha'll 'ave to excuse Ori," Bofur said to the elf maiden. "His palette is not what wi' call sophisticated, even fo' dwarves!"

"Tha soon needs t' talk, Bofur. All tha drinks is ale, beer an' mead," Nori said. 

"Please enlighten us, my dear. What goes into a waldorf salad?" Balin asked.

"It has apples," the elf maiden said.

"Ah good fo' meking cider an' pies!" Bofur piped up. 

"Bofur, shut thi trap!" said Nori.

"Tha should shut thine."

"Both o' yer shut up, or ah'll bang both thi heads together," Skafid warned.

I heard Vif warn her youngsters to behave themselves and not to copy the behaviour of Bofur and Nori. 

Nori said something which was unrepeatable.

"At least Ah know what an honest day's work is, which is more tha ken sey, Nori," Bofur said in reply.

Thorin nodded to Dwalin and Dwalin turffed Nori out of the meadhall before trouble could start. 

"You was saying, my lady?" Balin said to Ravauvial.

"The other ingredients are celery, lettuce," she answered. Ori pretended to gag at the mention of green food, which got him a dirty look from his mother and Dori. 

"Don't mind Ori. He despises green food," Bofur said. "His mam is allus trying to meke him eat it because she knows he doesn't like it."

"He scoffs to many chips, which is why ah meke him eat his greens," Skafid replied.

"Mam!" Ori groaned.

"Grapes and walnuts," the elf maiden finished.

Fili got up from his seat at that moment and I saw him head towards the kitchens. 

"Grapes meke good wine, better than any salad," said Bofur. "Though you're out of luck wi walnuts. Kili's partial to 'em scoffed the lot o'ver Yule."

"Fili helped," Kili replied.

Fili was gone about ten minutes before coming back with a bowl of apples, grapes and hazel nuts and gave it to Ravauvial. "I wasn't able to find lettuce and celery, and I'm afraid my brother had the last of the walnuts, but I did find some hazel nuts."

He was going to pour the elf maiden some wine, but a look from his Uncle stopped him and Fili returned to his seat.


	35. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 15th Entry

30th Afteryule, 2940 - Late Evening, approaching midnight

One thing the orcs had not destroyed when they attacked was my diary and the books on druidic lore that Irieaga had given me. It was tempting to do some reading, but I feared that if I did so, I would fall asleep and miss my appointment with Kili. What did he want, I wondered? So I set the books with my diary by my bedside table and made a note to go looking in the library to see if there was any ueseful lore there. I doubted it, but there might be something.

The hardest part of sneaking out to meet Kili was attempting to get out of a house full of people unnoticed. Bild and Gimli were still in the house due to their injuries, so it wasn't just Fili, Thorin and Dis I had to get past. I waited until I was sure that everyone was asleep, lit a lantern, and tiptoed down stairs. Passing Bild's room, I found that the door was open and that Thorin was in there with her. I paused, wondering how I was going to get past without being seen, but I relaxed a little when the sound of snoring told me he was asleep. Carefully, I tiptoed past and went out the front door.

Snow had fallen again and I saw another set of footprints, bigger than mine, lead away from the house, the difference being that they didn't begin at the front door! They lead to the stable and I followed them. The snow was cold to my feet, even through the thick hair that protected them from the elements, so I walked quickly. When I got to the stable, the door was slightly ajar and I found Kili sat waiting for me on a bale of straw. The ponies were asleep and in one corner Trotter snored loudly, at least, for a dog. 

"Let's go up into the hayloft," Kili said, noticing my shivering. "It will be warmer up there."

As Kili climbed up the ladder, I noticed that for the first time, he was clad only in a shirt and trousers. 

"Pass the lantern up," he said, when he got to the top and was lying on his stomach and leaning over the edge of the floor. I passed it up to him, barely able to lift it high enough for him to take it from me. It was a good thing that the lantern was behind glass.

I climbed up the ladder and when I got to the top, I noticed that his coat was hung up on a nail. I also discovered that he must have put some effort into planning this because he had brought up a flask of mead, a couple of half pint tankards, some bread and cheese, and a couple of blankets, as well as his Hnefetafl set.

"Did you ask me out here for a late night game of Hnefetafl?" I asked.

"If you want to," Kili replied. "I really just wanted to talk."

Kili uncorked the flask and poured us both a drink before sitting down opposite me. 

"And have something to eat and drink, I suppose?"

Suddenly, I was overcome with a nervousness that I'd never felt before and it was kind of silly because we'd been very relaxed in each other's company up until now, but tonight there was something different about him. I noticed the same tension I was feeling in Kili.

"This is kind of difficult for me to say," Kili began. "And there are quite a few quite a few reasons for this."

"Go on."

"You've been through quite a lot, recently, with the loss of your family and I didn't think it was the right time to tell you."

My nervousness had increased and I took a sip of mead to attempt to steady my nerves, but I don't think it was helping much. I noticed Kili did the same.

"But when I thought I lost you today, the orc attack, I realised that I'd been wrong to hold back telling you."

"What do you mean, Kili?"

"You see, if you'd died today, I would have lost the opportunity - you would have died without knowing - I, I couldn't live with that."

I repeated my question and put my mead to one side. 

"I'm rambling. I'm sorry. I don't really know how to tell you what I mean." Kili said, setting his mead down as well. 

Catching on, I said, "Then show me, what you mean, Kili, or do I have to -" I had been about to say do it for you, but didn't get the chance.

"Like this?" he asked, leaning forward and kissing me. I wrapped my arms round his shoulders. To get more comfortable, I laid down on my back, pulling him with me.

"Exactly like this," I said, kissing him back. The nervousness hadn't gone, though.

Kili broke off my kiss and looked down at me. "How did you I felt like this?" he asked.

"I know, because I felt the same way when you was gorged by the boar," I replied.

Kili grinned at me. "Then as we both feel the same way, it is silly to try and hide it from each other," he said.

I smiled. "It is even sillier not to act on those feelings," I said, not believing that I could say such a thing.

"How do you want me to act on them?" Kili asked.

"Just act on them," I said.

"Like this?" he asked, kissing me again. 

We soon got very intimate indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I expanded on this scene in the bonus material, for those who are interested (and old enough!) to read it.


	36. Kili's Journal, 21st Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

1st Solmath, 2940 - Morning

It felt like a great weight had been lifted off me when I woke up the next morning in the barn’s hayloft. I woke first and I watched Hilda as she slept peacefully. Did I write a few entries ago that the elven ice dancing was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen? Well, I was wrong in that assessment. The morning was perfect, aside from one small thing which I was soon going to find out.

The door to the stable creaked open.

"Damn it, Dis, where is that boy?" I heard Uncle Thorin’s raised voice. Mam’s reply was indistinguishable. If he caught us up here, I was in trouble.

"He knows it’s his job to see to the ponies."

It appears that I’ve over slept. Hilda woke up at the sound of voices and I gestured for her to be quiet. I had chosen the stable’s hayloft as our meeting place precisely because I had to see to the ponies. What I’d not anticipated was that the delay in sleeping would make me sleep past the time I normally got up. Mam must have entered the stables because her reply was quite clear.

"I assumed he was down here as his bed was empty when I looked in on him this morning."

"At least he’s not lazy, then," Uncle Thorin said. "Have you seen the hobbit lass this morning?"

"No. She wasn’t in her room, either."

“I bet he’s mooning around with her again. He clearly hasn’t been here today.”

Uncle Thorin really didn’t sound too happy with me, and I hoped he didn’t decide to come up here. If he did…. I missed Mam’s reply.

"I know that, but this shirking of responsibility is intolerable. The ponies haven’t had their coats brushed, there’s no fresh water in the drinking through, the hay nets are empty -" there was a pause. "Their hooves haven’t been picked and their oats haven’t been mixed up. I’ll feed them, Dis, and give them freshwater, but that’s really all I have time to do."

He didn’t mention anything about cleaning the stables out, but I don’t think he needed to.

"If I see Kili, I’ll send him o the stables. I’ll also have a word with him as well. With Bild and Gimli at the house, I’m pressed for time as well," Mam said.

"You shouldn’t be doing Kili’s work for him, Dis, so don’t feel like you have to. I’ll have a word or two with him myself when I catch up with him."

Uncle Thorin’s voice softened a little as he spoke to Misty.

There was a banging on the wall outside, as if someone was knocking snow off his or her boots.

"Maybe that’s Kili now," Mam said.

"It had better be."

It was Fili.

"Fili, has tha seen that brother of thine?" Uncle Thorin asked him.

"When I saw him earlier, he said he was going up to the crafting hall with some tack that needed mending," Fili replied. Of course, it was a lie, but I was glad to see that he was willing to cover for me.

"I’ll head up there now," Uncle Thorin said. "He’d better be there."

"You might not find him there."

"And why not?" Uncle Thorin asked my brother.

"He said he needed to go to the armoury to pick up replacement arrows. He used up a lot of them yesterday."

"Which is right next to the flipping crafting hall," Uncle Thorin said. I could hear the impatience in his voice.

"He said after that, that he was going to help Ori with his sword practice."

"Accept Ori doesn’t use a sword," was my Uncle’s reply.

"That’s why he needs the practice," Fili replied.

"A busy fellow, this brother of yours. A pity he doesn’t do the tasks that have been assigned to him," Uncle Thorin said. "He’d better get his work done here by noon, or there’ll be hel to pay. And he’d better not be cavorting with those elves."

I thought I heard Fili, Mam and Uncle Thorin exit the stables, but I wasn’t quite sure.

"You know Dis, I love those sons of yours dearly as if they were my own, but sometimes -"

We waited where we laid for a few minutes and in spite of everything, it was very difficult not to reveal our presence by bursting out laughing. I don’t think Uncle Thorin would have been pleased if he’d known that we were right above him, and the more we tried to suppress our mirth, the more difficult it became.

"Well, that was close," I said, grinning at Hilda.

"Could you imagine what your Uncle would have done had he come up here and saw us like this?" Hilda asked.

"He probably would have killed us," I said, getting to my feet and started to dress. I was freezing, and I’m sure Hilda was as well. With Hilda’s help, I began the work of caring for the ponies.

"Do you think he bought Fili’s attempts at covering for you?"

"Nay," I replied. "I think it would be best if we stayed out of my Uncle’s way for a while and keep our heads down."

"Agreed," Hilda replied.

"Still, I’d better talk to Ori. Make sure that if anyone asks about this, that he’ll tell them we were practicing sword-play."

Of course, if Uncle Thorin and Mam had bothered to take notice, they would have seen that we were somewhere near by because Trotter was curled up asleep in one of the currently empty stalls.


	37. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 16th Entry

1st Solmath, 2940

Being in love is wonderful, and it is almost strange to think that the orcs are on the verge of attacking Thorin’s Gate when I feel this way. It doesn’t seem right, some how. What is also difficult to come to terms with is the happiness that I am feeling right now. After losing my family in such an awful manner, I didn’t think that I would ever be happy again. Do I even have the right to be happy? I don’t think I do, not when I can’t share it with my parents and brothers. Due to my current circumstances, my love for Kili also has a lot of sadness attached to it.


	38. Kili's Journal, 22nd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

2nd Solmath

We continued to keep a careful vigilance for orcs. Even my uncle got involved. I think he wanted a break from, what he saw, as the elven intrusion into his realm, and so on the second day of Solmath we went out on a patrol. Unfortunately for my uncle, the elven lord's son, Vidar and the captain of the elven lord's guard, Adair decided to accompany us. My uncle's first instinct was to decline their request, but Mam, as she had done before, persuaded him to allow them to accompany us. The company was made up of Fili, Dwarlin, Gloin, Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Lyngheid and myself.

As we set out, Uncle Thorin walked beside Dwalin and Gloin. "Watch them carefully," he said in   
Khuzdul. 

"You think they may betray us?" I asked in Khuzdul.

"I am more concerned with them surviving if we encounter orcs," Uncle Thorin replied in Khuzdul. "There is enough enmity between dwarves and elves as it is."

"Maybe there wouldn't be a problem if there wasn't a woman among you," Vidar said in our tongue.

"I do not doubt the loyalty or capability of any of the women of my folk, even the hobbit lass," Uncle Thorin replied. "I trust Lyngheid to watch my back. It is more than I could say for an elf."

The insults and jibes only worsened from there on. What was incredible about it was that it didn't end up in blood shed. Dwalin looked like he wanted to bury one of his axes into the elven lord's son's skull. The elves wouldn't win, of course. There were too many dwarves present who would back Uncle Thorin up. Fili, Lyngheid and I kept out of it, and we walked ahead. I don't really understand all the hostility between my people and the elves. I can understand my Uncle's stance, though. The lack of support from the elves after the sacking of Dale and the loss of Erebor to the dragon from the elves not only caused our folk to suffer, but it helped contribute to the deaths of my great-grandmother and grandmother, if my Mam's account of events afterwards was to be believed. Dwarf women are rare and as a result, their loss is keenly felt. 

What I don't understand is the mistrust that the elves hold towards my folk. Is there something which occurred between our two people's that I've not been told? As we walked, ahead, out of earshot of our companions, I asked Fili if he knew of anything. He said that he didn't and it was as much a mystery to Lyngheid as it was to my brother and myself. Whatever it was, it must have been something so terrible that our older relatives didn't want to discuss, or it had happened such a long time ago that our folk no longer remembered what it was. 

"Whatever the reason, it is dishonourable for both of our folk to be embroiled in past grievances when we have a common enemy to fight in the orcs," I said.

"That is what Mam thinks, and why I asked them to stay," Fili said. "If our folk are to become strong again, if we are to survive, we need to put aside the past. When I am king after Uncle Thorin, I want to reconcile those differences. I know not everyone will be in agreement, but I am glad that I can count on your support, brother."

"You can count on mine, as well, Fili," said Lyngheid. 

"Do you think we would ever get Uncle Thorin to change his mind?" I asked.

"I don't know," Fili said. 

Uncle Thorin is so set in his ways. I think Fili's answer was more that he thought along the same lines as I do, that we wouldn't get Uncle Thorin to change his mind, but he doesn't want to admit that it is so. I suppose that it is up to Fili and I to ensure that relations with the elves aren't damaged further than they already are. The question was, how do we begin to change things? I posed the question. 

"I don't think we would get anywhere with Lord Njall," Fili said, mentioning the lord of Edhelion. "And from the exchange between Uncle Thorin and his son, I don't think I would get very far. Perhaps the key is Ravauvial?"

I noticed that Lyngheid looked a bit crestfallen at the mention of the elf maiden, but she hid it again before Fili noticed.

"Ravauvial?" I asked. "I don't know, Fili."

A dwarf man and an elf lady?

I don't think Lyngheid liked where the conversation was headed and increased her pace so that she was ahead of us. I looked around to make sure that none of the other dwarves, especially my Uncle, or Dwalin, where within ear shot, and to also ensure that the two elves wouldn't over hear us, either.

"You can't be serious, brother," I said, quietly.

"I only want to talk to her, Kili," Fili replied. 

"And just how do you propose to do that?" I asked. I knew that none of the dwarf women, Mam included, would ever agree to speak to the elf maiden on my brother's behalf, and it is not something that I could ever accomplish without causing trouble. Ori or Gimli might agree to do it, but it would end in the same result.

"Hilda," was his answer. "You could ask her to talk to her."

"Hilda?"

"All she needs to do is ask Ravauvial to meet me so we can talk."

"Alright. I'll ask her."

I had the feeling that there was more to this than Fili was letting on, but I kept that suspicion to myself.

Lyngheid got her opportunity to prove to the doubting elves that she is an excellent warrior when we came across a small group of orcs. I think my Uncle was pleased because it wiped (in his opinion), the smug, arrogant expressions off their faces, especially when she got Vidar out of trouble. The fight was nothing more than a skirmish, really and I think it allowed Uncle Thorin to let off some steam and brought my folk and the elves together for a common purpose - ridding the mountains of the orcs responsible for the attack on Hilda's home. It wasn't the end of it, though, because there was evidence of a much larger group of orcs out there. We kept one of the orcs alive and Dwalin was able to make the creature talk. He told us they were an advance party of a much larger group of orcs that was poised to attack Thorin's Gate and Edhelion. The orc then tried to attack Lyngheid and together, Uncle Thorin and Dwalin dispatched him. If there is one dwarf I would not want to get on the wrong side of, it's Dwalin. 

Uncle Thorin decided then that it would be a good idea to return to Thorin's Gate. We needed to complete the preparations to defend the town against the forthcoming battle. 

It was in the early evening when we returned. I found Hilda in the meadhall and drew her to one side. Luckily for once, no one was paying us much attention as they were more interested in Bofur's exaggerated tale of how we had defeated the group of orcs. From the snippets of the tale I caught, the orcs became an army, Dwalin defeated about fifty of them, and my Uncle killed one the size of a cave troll with his bare hands. I didn't catch what Fili and I were supposed to have done, or Lyngheid, but you can bet it was something ridiculously outrageous. He down played the part of the elves to make them look foolish and cowardly, which, along with Mam poking holes in the story, sparked off a debate, which Uncle Thorin, Dwalin, Fili and Lyngheid wisely stayed out of. I had to laugh. 

"Bofur ought to go tell that tale down at the Cabbage," I said.

"Did it really happen like that?" Hilda asked.

"Not at all," I replied.

"I am glad you are safe," Hilda said.

I glanced around, making sure that no one was listening to us. I saw that Uncle Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Fili and Gloin were talking together in a small group - discussing plans to save Thorin's Gate, I supposed. I saw that they were joined by Lord Njall, his son and the guard. Lyngheid was talking with her sister and mother. Ori was scribbling something in his journal. It looked like he was drawing the elven women who were sat in a group together. The rest of the dwarves and elves were taking part in the stupid debate. 

"I want to talk to you outside," I said.

We slipped out without anyone noticing we had gone. I briefly explained what Fili and I had discussed. 

"I will pass the message on. The difficulty will be catching Ravauvial on her own. She is almost always in the company of her mother or one or other of her mother's handmaidens, but I will try my best. Where would Fili want to meet with her?"

"He wants to meet her at Edhelion Watch, and you and I will be there," I replied.


	39. Kili's Journal, 23rd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

3rd Solmath, 2940

Hilda and I continued our romantic involvement. Most of the time we just talked, either while we cared for the ponies or walked along the more isolated mountain paths that ran around Thorin's Gate. With the threat of orcs and the coldness of winter, we didn't go far from the town and it was only for an hour or so everyday. Though it was tempting, we didn't repeat our tryst in the hayloft. It was just too risky.

When we weren't looking after the ponies or taking a walk in the mountain passes, we spent little time together and when we did, we tried to down play it. Whether this worked or not, I don't know. I did catch Ori and asked him, that if anyone asked, we were practicing sword fighting that morning. He did ask why and I made up some story that I hoped sounded plausible. 

I did get a tongue lashing from Mam about my lateness the other day and Uncle Thorin had words with me as well. Fortunately, I don't think they caught on to what I'd really been doing, but they did notice that I was spending less time with Hilda when we took our meals in the meadhall, and I think it made Mam in particular somewhat suspicious. She never asked me about it directly, though.

I wanted to talk to someone about what was happening between Hilda and myself, but I don't know what Uncle Thorin's reaction would be if I approached him, and I was too embarrassed to bring the subject up with Mam. Fili I knew I could talk to, but he would be just as clueless about things as myself. I couldn't talk to Bofur and Nori about it, as they would just broadcast it to everyone and Dwalin is just as likely to knock my teeth out as he is to listen to me. What a mess I'm in! It just didn't feel right at all to talk to any of the dwarf women about it. And so I found myself in Balin's office adjacent to the library one day. 

I passed Ori and Lofnheid working on some contraption which Ori called a printing press. They'd been working on it for awhile now because they wanted to find a more efficient way of producing and copying documents instead of just writing them out all the time. It looked like it was nearing completion. 

When I told Balin that I wanted to speak to him about a private matter, he hung a Do not disturb sign on the door and shut it against any unwelcome eavesdroppers. I briefly told him what it was about.

"I wondered when you would be asking me about this," Balin said.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked.

"You two have been joined at the hip since you and Fili rescued her, laddie, so it's obvious," Balin replied. "The only time you aren't seen together is when you're on some kind of errand for your Uncle."

"It's understandable that you are smitten with her, lad. There aren't many dwarf women around, especially ones close to your age and of the ones that are, Lyngheid and Lofnheid, they are blood relatives. My advice for you is that you wait a few years. Your Uncle will be sending you, Fili, Ori and Gimli and the two lasses to your cousin Dain in the Iron Hills when you are of age. It is a bigger settlement, there will be more dwarf women there and your feelings for Hilda could have burnt themselves out by then."

I must say that I didn't like the idea of falling out of love with Hilda. It didn't even seem possible.

"So your advice is to just wait?" I asked.

"Aye, laddie."

"And if I don't stop feeling what I do for Hilda?" I asked.

"Then your Mam will have a hobbit for a daughter-in-law."

"You don't think there will be any problems with it?" I asked.

"There will be some objections, I am sure," Balin said.

I thought of those fur-faced kitchen bats and I shuddered. I hoped none of the women in Dain's kingdom were like that. Besides, they shouldn't complain, really. Since every one of them were unmarried and had children (at least the ones currently young enough to have them). There were rumours that Bombur was the father, since he practically lived in the kitchens when he wasn't travelling with my Uncle. I wouldn't put it past Nori or Bofur to be responsible for some of them either.

"Of course, laddie, I'd thought I'd better bring this up now, so you won't be caught out later. You and Fili both may be forced to make an alliance with one or more of the lesser dwarf clans and have no choice in who you marry. It wouldn't matter too much for someone like Ori, or even Gimli, because they have little chance, if ever, of sitting on the throne. A great disaster would have to befall our people if that were to happen, but you and Fili? You and your brother are a different matter entirely."

"If that's the case, why has my Uncle never married?" I asked.

"Your Uncle's case is complicated," Balin replied.

Would there be room for Hilda if I had to choose someone else for political reasons? I decided then that I hated politics. Another thought struck me then. If what Balin suggested came to pass, what would become of Hilda? She had lost so much already. 

"Dwarves are a practical people, Kili. It is not as if she's an elf."

It felt good to get it off my chest, but I am not sure if Balin's advice has helped, or just made things more complicated.


	40. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 17th Entry

4th Solmath, 2940

The threat of the orcs has not gone away. Lots of the dwarves were nervous, with the children and women wearing it more openly, except for Dis, Lyngheid, and Bild, but I could tell that they were worried. The Dwarf men did what they could to hide their worry, but weren't always as successful as they wanted to be. Bofur stopped making his jokes, Dwalin was very concerned about his young family, a concern which his brother, Balin shared. Thorin, well, he was more irritable than usual and snapped at everyone, especially those closet to him. Dis told Fili and Kili to pay no mind to it - their Uncle had a lot to deal with. As a result, Kili did more to assist Thorin than he usually did, which seemed to improve Thorin's mood some what and we kept our relationship low key and didn't spend as much time with each liked.

It was very difficult to find the time to concentrate on my druid studies. For much of it, we needed solitude because the secrets of our arts were not to be shown to non-druids. With the orcs getting ever bolder, it was deemed too risky to spend a lot of time away from town and Irieaga and I were limited in what we could do. We did spend a lot of time in the library reading up on arcane matters, but much of the texts were in the dwarven language of Khuzdul, which neither of us could read. We were working on summoning spells, as these were one of the most important defense spells to druids and I saw Kili talking to Ori and Lofnheid. I went over to him and asked him if he could translate a scroll for me. I think had Ori or Lofnheid had been paying attention they would have stopped him from reading it, but they didn't because they were working on a strange contraption that they were inventing.

"It's an old dialect, I'm not sure if I can help," Kili replied.

"Maybe it would help if you read it aloud?" I suggested.

"Alright, I'll give it a try," Kili said. 

Kili began reading it aloud, pausing at some words while he worked out what the next word should be, because either the runic spelling of the word had changed, or because it was a word which had since dropped out of common usage. We were concentrating so much on the meaning of the words on the scroll that neither of us noticed the portal that had begun to open, until Lofnheid screamed and Ori asked what Kili was doing.

Kili dropped the scroll when he saw the pack of fiendish dire rats that had made their way through the portal. Thorin, Balin, Fili and Dwalin came out of Balin's office to see what the commotion was about as one of the rats leapt at us. Kili saw the attack coming and pushed me out of the way, only to get into the creature's path himself. Trotter snarled at and worried the rat that pinned Kili, even though it was twice his size, but it was Thorin who finally rescued his nephew. Irieaga attempted to calm the creatures, but was unsuccessful because they weren't ordinary animals. 

By this time, Ori and Lofnheid had figured out what was going on and attempted to get hold of the scroll, to close the portal to prevent more of the creatures from coming through, or to send them back, I'm not sure which, but for everyone that was dispatched, another seemed to take its place. Needless to say the library was a complete mess. Thorin, Fili and Kili fought along side each other, which was an impressive sight to see. I felt completely useless as I tried to keep out of the rats' reach. Dwalin seemed to be enjoying it. I managed to get to the scroll and passed it to Ori, and he managed at least to get the portal closed, but the rats stayed. However, when one was killed, there were no more to replace it. We would win this fight.

Sounds of fighting brought more dwarves to the scene and the crisis was soon dealt with. Once over, I saw that the rats were bigger than me. Fortunately, aside from bites (even though these were quite painful and nasty) and scratches, no one was badly injured, and Irieaga, through the use of her healing spells and Oin were able to deal with the wounds.

"Get them out of here and burn them," Thorin ordered, when Irieaga had seen to his wounds (he had told her to see to Kili first, because he was most badly injured). He turned to Kili. "Kili, just what were you doing?"

"It wasn't Kili's fault," I said. "I am to blame. I asked him to translate the scroll for me."

I expected Thorin to say something, but he didn't. He just glared at me. Kili and I offered to straighten the mess of the library out, as it was our fault, and for some reason, Ori and Lofnheid got some of the blame, as well, just for being in the vicinity. Their contraption needed repair. A lot of the furniture was broken, either accidently, or on purpose to fight the rats off. A lot of the books needed repairing as well (if it was possible) and Balin told us to put the damaged books to one side so he, Ori and Lofnheid could have a look at them later. Needless to say, Kili and I weren't allowed anywhere near the arcane section after that.


	41. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 18th Entry

4th - 5th Solmath

By chance, I did manage to speak with Ravauvial as Kili had asked. It had been sometime on the same day of the incident in the library when we were clearing up. Ravauvial, along with the handmaidens Maeve and Eilora, had come to the library for reading material. Kili called Lofnheid over to help them find something to read, and Kili and I offered to help Ravauvial.

"What happened? It looks like fighting in here," Ravauvial.

"Oh it's just a slight accident," Kili said, spying Ori in Balin's office, inspecting the damaged books. "Ori was re-shelving some books, knocked over a bookcase, and brought the whole lot down. We were passing and decided to help straighten the place up again."

"I see," the elf maiden said.

"Are you looking for anything in particular? It might take a while to find it in all this mess," Hilda said.

"I was looking for dwarven poetry, songs, that kind of thing. I compose music," Ravauvial replied.

"I'll go ask Lofnheid where books like that are kept," Kili said, leaving me with the elf maiden. 

I didn't know how to bring the subject up with Ravauvial directly, so I asked her if she had seen all of Thorin's Gate yet. If I offered to show her around the place, maybe we could by chance, meet Fili and Kili at Edhelion Watch. 

"I have not had the opportunity," she replied.

"I could show you," I replied. "I have been in Thorin's Gate now since Foreyule and I have learnt my way around quite well. Would tomorrow afternoon be convenient?"

Ravauvial agreed and I informed Kili of the time. She wanted to bring her mother and the handmaidens, but I talked her out of it - I wasn't sure if Fili wanted them there or not. I assumed that they didn't.

Snow fall has become such a constant occurrence in the mountains that it is no longer worth noting it, but it was there the next afternoon when we made our way from the warmth of the meadhall to Edhelion Watch. We met Fili and Kili by the frozen fountain. 

I noticed that both of the brothers were armed and I looked around, expecting orcs to be everywhere. Maybe this wasn't just a good idea? I thought back to the orc attack in Irieaga's grove and shuddered. Fili asked Ravauvial if she minded having a word with him and Kili and I walked away to give them privacy, but we stayed with in sight of them incase there was trouble from the orcs. Even Trotter was uneasy, scenting the air and staying close to us. There was no bird song, and I wondered if that was because of something sinister moving in the tree-line, or because of the cold day. I felt so exposed out there and I think the recent events were catching up with me. 

Kili wrapped his arm around my shoulders and that action chased some of my apprehension away, but the uneasiness I felt still bothered me, even if it was reduced.

Although the days had been lengthening, dusk came early and I was relieved when we were making our way back to town. If anyone asked why Ravauvial was traveling with the brothers, we had made up the story that we had come across each other on the road, and they offered to walk with us because of the orc threat. Fili and Ravauvial seemed to get on with each other. When we were in sight of the Cabbage, and in the vicinity of others, my nervousness began to recede. 

I don't know what had made me so uncomfortable out there. When I lived on the farm with my family, I often spent hours alone in the fields keeping watch over the livestock and never felt that uneasy. I suppose since the orc raid, and everything that had occurred since then, I began to see the world through different eyes. It has suddenly become a much more dangerous place.


	42. Kili's Journal, 24th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

5th - 6th Solmath, 2940

The orcs attacked in the night. I was sleeping and the first thing I knew about it was Mam waking me. Hilda and Fili were already awake and it was quite a sight to see Mam, Fili and Uncle Thorin fighting orcs in their nightwear. Hilda, having no weapons to fight with at all, used chairs, candlesticks, porcelain and anything else she could get her hands on to fight off the orcs that got in. Bild had recovered from her injury enough to fight side by side with Mam, but Gimli kept out of it pretty much because he was still suffering badly and lingered at the back. Trotter, I don't know what happened to him during the fighting. Fili, Uncle Thorin and myself did most of the fighting until Bofur, Bifur, Bombur and Dwalin showed up to get us out of the mess. The ponies had broken out of their stalls and I could see that the stable was alight. There was only enough time to wish that they were unhurt and would return of their own accord. Mam, Bombur and Hilda assisted Gimli and Bild along the path to the meadhall, where a better defense could be mounted. 

In the distance, I could see that the Cabbage was on fire, but Baldric had escaped unhurt and joined us as we made our way to the meadhall. 

Many dwarves, however, had not been so lucky, but fortunately, there were none that I recognised immediately and there were no children or women amongst them. It still wasn't a good sight to behold and we would have our work cut out for us dealing with their remains later. The children were up at the meadhall as it was deemed to be the best place to defend them during an attack. 

Elven archers covered our flight and someone opened the meadhall door for us. Lyngheid, Gloin, and Dori came out of the meadhall and helped fight off pursing orcs that the elven archers had missed. I had to admire Lyngheid's spirit. She would have made a good warrior queen for Fili had she not been a blood relative. 

Mam and Hilda got Gimli inside and into the waiting arms of his mother. I lingered outside until Bild, Bofur, Bifur and Bombur had gone inside, followed by Dori and Gloin. Dwalin literally had to manhandle Lyngheid to make her return to safety and Fili and I dealt with our stubborn mother. Uncle Thorin was the last dwarf to go inside the meadhall, as he wanted to ensure no one was stuck out there in need of help. Balin and Ori firmly shut the door behind him once he was inside. 

Sometime during the flight (and I must have missed it with all the chaos unfolding around me), Trotter had turned up and was sat at Hilda's feet. I was glad the dog was unharmed, but I was more relieved to see Hilda safe and sound.

Vif was there with all her children, including Lofnheid. Skafid was wielding a pair of blood stained knitting needles. I pitied (briefly) the orc who had crossed her path. The fur-faced kitchen bats and their offspring (there were six fur-faced kitchen bats in all, five of them young, one elderly and the matron of the kitchens), and each of the young women had at least three young children, a couple of them had a baby and one looked like she had another on the way. (Or she could just have been immensely fat, it was difficult to tell). It always amazed me how Mam maintained some sense of authority over that rabble. I noticed Vif was keeping a close eye on her brood.

Oin was bringing Uncle Thorin's spare set of armour and Mam helped him into it. It somehow made him look even more ridiculous, with his nightshirt visible beyond the end of the chain mail, but I don't think anyone had the guts to tell him. 

The elf women were huddled together in a group, the mother (the wife of the elf lord) and the handmaidens trying to keep the daughter from having a panic attack. Baldric offered her a mug of mead. 

There was no sign of Irieaga and I sincerely hoped that she wasn't among the casualties outside. 

I joined the elven archers and found myself fighting along side a pair of elf brothers called Elladan and Elrohir. Looking out, I could see the druid woman and shouted, "Keep the orcs away from her."

I was thinking of saving her life when I shouted that, but in truth, it was her who saved the town. She called down lightening to strike the orcs down and attacked them with spheres of flame. I wasn't even aware that she possessed such magics. It gave Uncle Thorin the time he needed to plan and conduct a counter offensive on the orcs and by sun rise, the fighting was all but over. 

Many homes had been ruined beyond repair and would have to be rebuilt. The Cabbage had been completely raised to the ground, with only an out house that stored liquor remaining intact. All the ponies had bolted and we hoped that they weren't victims of the remaining orcs and wargs, for although with the druid's help and the assistance of the elves, it had been impossible to get every last one which had attacked the town. We would search for them later as the more pressing matters of seeing to the wounded and dead were our primary concern. 

Dwarves and men were found alive in the wreckage of some of the buildings and these were taken to the meadhall to be cared for by Oin and the women. The elves had lost their home as there had been no one to defend it, and as they had helped defend Thorin's Gate against the orcs, my Uncle offered them shelter until they had rebuilt their homes. It didn't make up for the lack of assistance the elves had given the dwarves in my Great Grandfather's time, but my Uncle can be gracious when he wants to be. 

Elladan and Elrohir told Fili and I about the torture of their mother at the hands of orcs as we burnt the corpses of orcs and wargs. The tale told at the Cabbage seemed even more fantastical after that. Thick black smoke and the foul smell of burning flesh gave the air an ill taint and it is not something I will forget in a hurry.

Dead dwarves were taken into the mines for burial near the tombs of my dead kin. We got a surprise about mid morning when an Ent, known afterwards as Dvärgvän a friend of the druid's came out of the alpine forests and assisted us with the clear up. The Ent, the druid's raven, Muninn and Trotter allowed us to recover many trapped dwarves and saved a lot of lives which otherwise would have been lost.

Night was drawing in when we retreated to the meadhall. Many dwarves had no where else to go because their home was lost, and of those that hadn't, went to the meadhall anyway because they were needed in the meadhall. Elladan and Elrohir went to sit with the other elves.

Hilda and I had not seen each other all day and we exchanged a hug and a kiss which lasted longer than was appropriate, but no one seemed to notice or care. Then, side by side, we sat with Mam and Uncle Thorin who were talking with the druid woman. She looked drained and she explained that she had not released so much power for a long time and that it would take her a few days to recover her strength. I wondered what impact age had on it. 

Looking around the hall, most of the dwarves were huddled in small groups discussing the day's events, most with their families, or what was left of them, if they weren't tending to the injured. Those dwarves that lacked family (or were estranged in some way) were gathered around a table where Baldric had taken up residence and was behaving like it was his own personal public house. Uncle Thorin noticed, but he was too exhausted to take issue with it, - for the moment. 

Fili was talking to the elven lord's daughter and Uncle Thorin did take issue with that. He wasn't the only one, however, because the elven lord sent his daughter's handmaidens to escort her away. Uncle Thorin glared at Fili angrily when he joined us.

The hall was as crowded as it was had been over the Yule celebration, but it lacked the air of frivolity. That evening, the meadhall's atmosphere was gloomy and oppressive, and none of us felt like going to our homes, if they were still intact. I think we all needed the reassurance of the company of others.

The dead dwarves would give the stone masons weeks of work as they made fitting monuments to the house the dead. It is not work that I envy.


	43. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 19th Entry

6th Solmath - Evening

It had been a wretched day. I have spent much of it assisting Gloin, Irieaga, Skafid, Dis, the elf women and the other dwarf women with the wounded from the battle, and there are many. Irieaga would have used her healing spells but her powers had been spent in the battle and she had nothing at all left. As yet, I have not yet mastered even the most rudimentary spells and can do nothing to help other than make them more comfortable. 

There has been no time to stop and think about what has happened and in some ways, I think that is a good thing - if I'd been allowed to stop and think, I don't think I would have been any assistance at all. The healing knowledge of the elves is tremendous, and there is no doubt in my mind that we would have lost many dwarves had we not had their help. It is something that not even Thorin could complain about. Still, it wasn't with out loss. Some of the causalities were so far gone that all we could do was make them comfortable as they died. Most of these were dwarf men, as none of the women had been in the fighting, and there were also a couple of elf casualties that didn't make it. 

Kili had spent the day looking for survivors and disposing of the slain orcs and wargs. I don't ever remember seeing him look so weary when they finished. Most of the dwarves didn't return to their homes that night and stayed in the meadhall. I was tired, but I didn't think that I could sleep. My mind was running the days events over and over again in my mind. Was there anything that I could have done differently that would have saved some dwarf's life? I don't know the answer to that. 

Eventually I did sleep, with Kili at my side, and Fili, Dis and Thorin sleeping, or rather, attempting to, nearby.


	44. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 20th Entry

7th Solmath

I need to learn to stop jumping at every shadow, which is difficult considering recent events. I try to keep myself busy so that I can forget to be afraid but it doesn't always work, not when there reminders of the orc attack all around me.

Dwalin had been injured in the fighting, not too badly, and he'd not intended to get the injury seen to until he got fed up of his wife's and daughters' nagging - Dwalin's words, not mine. He did not see the point in bothering Oin about it when there were others more severely hurt. As the injury wasn't that bad, Oin asked me to deal with it. 

It was the first time that I'd had a chance to talk to him properly since coming to Ered Luin. He has seen a lot of battles, that much I could tell just by looking at him, and I found him more intimidating than Thorin. The best way of describing the feeling of being in his presence is the trepidation that a stoat or a weasel would feel in the presence of a lion or a bear. 

I saw the tattoos that adorned his arms, hands and bald head as I dealt with the gash to his arm. They mainly featured the angular complexity of dwarven knotwork, and runes, and reminded me of dwarven designs which I had seen elsewhere. 

I asked him what they meant, but he wouldn't tell me directly, especially about the ones which were connected to his family and the line of Durin. He did say that they represented an important event in his life. 

"Like the loss of Erebor?" I asked. "And the War with the orcs?"

"Aye, that's right, but they aren't all to do with battles. There is one which commemorates the marriage to my wife, and the birth of my children."

I recalled the ones I had seen on Kili's torso when I had cared for him after his encounter with the boar. In comparison to Dwalin, he had almost none, and I suppose it was due to his age. I'd not thought to ask him about them then and I now wish that I had. I don't think that Dwalin was going to give me any more information about the ones he had.

"Do all dwarves have them?" I asked. 

"Most do, but most do not have as many as I do, nor do most wear them as openly," Dwalin replied. "Thorin has almost the same number that I do, which is to be expected with him being king."


	45. Kili's Journal, 25th Entry (Translatated from dwarven runes)

7th Solmath

The fires were still burning the next day, and it was clear that it would take some time to get the town back to normal, if such a state could ever be restored after an attack like this. I over heard Balin say that he had never expected to see dwarves and elves working together. I did wonder if Fili's idea of reconciliation with the elves would work and in spite of the devastation, it looked like things were off to a good start. I wondered how much worse it would have been had we not met the elves by chance at the end of Afteryule. We owed our survival of the raid by working together, that much I am sure of. 

Hilda had loaned me Trotter and we had been searching some ruins that we'd not got to yesterday. We found none alive this time - if we had got to them sooner, maybe there was something we could have done. The failure laid heavily on me.

Unfortunately as I was making my way back to the meadhall, with Trotter on my heals, I came across a sight that I didn't want to see - Ravauvial and Adair together. They were some distance from the main hub of Thorn's Gate and it appeared as if they had met out here to avoid enquiring eyes. I could tell by their body language that it was more than just a guard carrying out his duties. They were so engrossed in each other that they didn't even notice that I had seen them. I wondered if I should tell Fili. I knew that he liked the elf maiden, that had been obvious from the first time we met her, but now I could not help but question what she was really up to. 

Would it have worked between a dwarf and an elf anyway? From the conversation Balin and I had, I deemed it unlikely. I was still mulling over the issue when I reached the meadhall. I caught the end of Hilda's conversation with Dwalin.

"Is something wrong?" Hilda asked me when she saw me. It was not something I wanted to discuss with anyone near by, so we found a quiet spot in the library. Fortunately, it was deserted - not even Ori and Lofnheid were there, even though if you couldn't find them, it was the place they were most likely to be.

I told Hilda what I had seen.

"Are you quite certain that's what you saw?" Hilda asked. "You know from experience how easy it is for people to misinterpret things that they only catch glimpses of."

"I hope it is what you say, Hilda. The question is, should I tell Fili or not?"

"Until you know for certain that what you sure wasn't innocent, then I don't think you should mention it," Hilda replied. 

"I suppose in the end, I can only be there for him if things go wrong," I said, but it was no comfort. 

Hilda then asked a curious question relating to dwarven tattoos, specifically those regarding runes.

"You've spoken to Dwalin?" I asked.

"He wouldn't tell me much," Hilda replied.

We went to Balin's office and I shut the door and found the key that locked it. It would have been quite embarrassing had anyone walked in on us. I showed them to her (not that she hadn't already seen them, but by showing them to her, it was easier to explain what they meant.

"The first one I had done is one that all the dwarves who are direct descendants of Durin have," I explained. "There are many who are kin to Durin's line, but they aren't directly descended from him."

Hilda traced the lines of the tattoo with her finger. The second one was dedicated to my father, and the final one was one of my own design, one which was personal to me. I think Hilda liked that one. I kissed her, and it was very difficult not to let it go further, but it was a good thing we didn't allow it to. With great reluctance I pulled away from her.

I had only just got fully clothed again when we heard footsteps and voices in the library. I could tell that it was my Uncle and Balin. Hilda managed to unlock the door before they noticed that anything was amiss. If it had been anyone else, then we might have got away with keeping the door locked, if we remained quiet, but not if it was Balin or my Uncle. 

Both of us must have looked somewhat guilty of something because Uncle Thorin glared at me angrily and asked Hilda why she wasn't in the meadhall where she was most needed. 

"I tell you, Balin, that youngest nephew of mine must think that I am blind if I can't see that he and the hobbit lass are up to something."

There was another dwarf with them, a stranger. He introduced himself using his Khuzdul name. He either did not take notice that Hilda wasn't a dwarf, or he didn't care, as dwarves do not readily reveal their Khuzdul names to those not of our kind. 

"Kili, we shall speak later," my Uncle said and with that, we were dismissed. I heard Balin reprimand the dwarf for using his Khuzdul name in front of Hilda, and he replied that we had no business having a hobbit in our midst. I learnt later that the dwarf was a Firebeard, and they are known for not keeping to dwarven customs. As such, many dwarves find it difficult to trust them. I wondered what it was he wanted.

"What was that about?" Hilda asked.

I wasn't sure if I should explain it to her, or if I could, so I told her it was nothing. Perhaps one day I would be able to, I if I could convince my Uncle or one of the other older dwarves to allow me to. Have I told her too much already?

Later, I did learn what the Firebeard wanted. He had come with news of a possible sighting of my Grandfather near Dunland. After discussion between my Uncle, Mam, Fili and myself it was decided that we would set out to see if the rumours were true. We needed to leave Thorin's Gate for a short while anyway, to replenish dwindling supplies which almost always happened in late winter. This year the orc attack had made things worse, but first we needed to find the ponies.

I don't think I've seen Mam this happy since before my father died. But there was something not quite right about it. If my Grandfather was alive, why would it take this long for news of him to surface? Of course, I hoped it was true, and for Mam and Uncle Thorin that hope had turned into a certainty. The thought of a deliberate deception was not one I wanted to consider, but it is there, never the less. I don't know what to think.


	46. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 21st Entry

8th Solmath, 2940

The orc attack took its toll on all of us. On the third day after the attack, Kili, Fili, Lyngheid, Lofnheid, Ori and I set out to look for the ponies. Trotter and Muninn accompanied us, Trotter following the scent trails and the raven taking to the air to search for the missing ponies. We found Minty, Rowan, Bungo, Crowberry and Dis' pony, Willow grazing in a clearing together. Bungo and Rowan whinnied at the sight of Kili and Fili and tottered towards us. Misty and Willow, not wanting to be left behind, followed them, with Crowberry a little behind. Crowberry was happy to see me and allowed me to scratch between her ears. 

"Do you think we should take them back, or continue to look?" Ori asked.

"Take them back," Fili replied. "It's lucky we found these."

There was a caw from Muninn and he flew a short way between the trees. We followed him and a short walk away from where we found the ponies, we came across Daisy, Myrtle, Misty, Silverfox, Aspen and Orc-crusher. Silverfox and Aspen belonged to Lyngheid and Lofnheid respectively and Orc-crusher, a bad tempered old mare that bossed the other ponies around and was known to bite anyone who tried to handle her, belonged to Bild. Kili wasn't looking forward to dealing with her, and neither were Fili and Ori. I got a little annoyed. They had the courage face down orcs, wargs and goodness knows what else, but didn't want to handle a pony?

"Oh for goodness sake," I said. "She's just a pony. You just know how to handle them."

"Go ahead then," said Fili. "Lets see how you deal with it."

I reached inside my pocket and pulled out some pieces of carrot I had stored there, and holding my hand out flat, I walked towards her, talking to her. Her ears flicked and she snorted, but I continued moving forward, slowly, so as not to startle her.

"You shouldn't really encourage her," Kili said to Fili.

"She looks like she knows what she's doing," Fili replied.

"I just don't want her getting hurt, that's all."

"I can't watch this," Ori said.

After talking to her, Orc-crusher let me stroke her as she ate the carrots and she allowed me to slip a head collar on her.

"Someone will have to lead her," I said.

Ori gulped at the prospect.

"I'll do it," Kili volunteered, when no one else did. She did try to bite Kili a couple of times, and attempted to stand on his foot, but after that she seemed to get the measure of him and settled down. We found out something else as well, that Misty and Orc-crusher didn't really get along, and neither did Willow and Orc-crusher, and this affected how we travelled. Counting the ponies, there were at least ten more still unaccounted for, but we decided to get the lot we had captured back to Thorin's Gate before we lost them again. It was about mid-afternoon when we got back to town. 

A temporary shelter and paddocks had been constructed for the ponies by a dwarf experienced in caring for horses and whom had been appointed horse-master. We checked them over for any sign of injury before turning them loose. Orc-crusher, due to her temperament, was placed in a paddock on her own.

We shared some watered down mead and while we rested, Thorin and Bild came over.

"How many are still out there?" Thorin asked.

"Ten, we think," Fili replied.

"I see you managed to get Orc-crusher back. I thought I'd have to go after her myself," Bild said.

"It was Hilda who caught her," Fili said. "And Kili led her back."

"Good lad," Thorin said, patting Kili on the shoulder. "This almost makes up for the mess in the library and that day when I had to feed the ponies."

I found it difficult not to choke with laughter on my mead when Thorin mentioned that as he and Bild went to talk to the horse master.

"Are you alright, Hilda?" Ori asked.

I exchanged a glance with Kili and that was all Fili needed. 

"I knew you two were up to something," Fili said.

"What happened?" Ori asked.

They had us cornered and even if we denied anything had happened, I don't think Ori or Fili, or the two dwarf sisters would have allowed it to rest. Thorin, Bild and the horse master were far enough away not to over hear us if we spoke quietly. Kili looked at me and I nodded. He made Ori and the two sisters swear to secrecy and told them what happened that night in the hayloft.

"You're on thin ice, brother," Fili said. 

I don't think I had ever felt more embarrassed in my life. I really hoped it didn't get back to Kili's Uncle and failing that, I really, really did not want it to get back to his mother.


	47. Kili's Journal, 26th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

10th Solmath, 2940

I suppose that a secret can't be kept a secret forever. It could be worse though, as Fili was soon to find out. Fili and the elven lord's daughter had been making eyes at each other, almost since the moment they met. Personally, I don't see what he finds so fascinating about her. Yes, she is pretty, but then, all elves are. What caused me to be surprised about Fili's interest in her was the apparent, for want of a better word, sissiness. 

There was no strength about her, not in the same way that Bild, Lyngheid or indeed, any of the dwarf women had. There was no hidden strength in her as far as I can see, not like that of Hilda, for instance. And she had no wit, not the kind of intelligence that Lofnheid had, for example.

She just seemed to be a delicate flower that would wither if you breathed too strongly near her. Balin or Dori would probably have said that loneliness for women, youth and hot blood would cause a dwarf to act stupidly in matters of the heart, but even so….

A few days after the orc attack or rather nights, Fili and the elven lord's daughter were taking a stroll in the moonlight. Elladan or Elrohir, or the guard or her brother, I'm not sure which, saw them together, just as Fili was kissing her, or her him (again, I'm not quite sure). Of course, there was a fight between my brother and the elf. Accusations of inappropriate behaviour on both sides were flung around.

There was an awful row between my Uncle, Mam, and Fili on one side, the elven lord, his wife and his son on the other. Uncle Thorin went ballistic and only the intervention of Mam and Dwalin that prevented blood from being spilled, both elven and dwarf. 

After the row, Fili and I sat outside on the steps of the meadhall, talking it over. Some how, Fili had ended up with a split lip and a black eye. The elven lord decided to send his daughter, along with her two handmaidens and her mother to Rivendell, with Elladan and Elrohir as an escort. The worst thing? Though I didn't say this to Fili, is that I could imagine the elven lord's daughter making eyes at Elladan or Elrohir as if nothing had happened. Adair was almost as irate about the whole thing as Ravauvial's parents and brother had been, so I think what I suspected I had seen a few days ago between her and the captain was as I'd interpreted it. I should have warned Fili, but it is easy to see what I should have done after the fact. In a few days, on the 12th of Solmath, we will be celebrating Maiden's Day and this fight, in conjunction with the orc attack, has put a dampener on the celebrations.

Due to the destruction of the Cabbage, Baldric has practically taken over the meadhall until it can be rebuilt and much to my Uncle's chagrin, he has turned it into a den of drinking to excess (not that that didn't happen before) and gambling.


	48. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 22nd Entry

15th Solmath, 2940 - Early Morning

Late winter is a lean time in the mountains. Food is growing short because the supplies have almost run out and because the orc attacks destroyed a good portion of the food stores. I ceased having second breakfast and all those other 'extra' meals that hobbits have in comparison to other races long ago and as a result, I am becoming quite skinny. The food shortage made the dwarven celebration of Maiden's Day quite a meager affair, but it also gave Kili an excuse to shower attention on me, which I quite liked. At this time of year, hobbits usually make pancakes and after some searching, I was able to do that, though eggs were quite difficult to come by, as the chickens that the kitchen dwarves kept were still having difficulty laying after the orc attack, but my persistence paid off. 

There was a search for food at the elven settlement, but it came up empty, either because the orcs had ransacked the place, destroyed the supplies, or the supplies were eaten by wildlife, it is unclear which.

Thorin has decided that an expedition to Bree must be mounted. He will be leading the expedition patience with the elves has grown quite thin and he's leaving Balin and Dis in charge. Fili and Kili will be going, as will Bofur, Bifur, Bombur, Gloin and Dwalin. Thorin has asked me along because they plan to use Crowberry's skills as a draught horse. We will also be passing the remains of my farm to see if there was anything left there. Bild, Lyngheid, Dori, and Oin would be accompanying us as far as the farm to take back anything we found. Ori was busy with the printing press he and Lofnheid were working on - they were planning on producing a newspaper to distribute important news around the area that documented news and other goings on. Nori would not be coming as he was part of the construction team to rebuild what the orcs had destroyed. 

Thorin has had word that his father Thrain has been seen near Dunland. He wants to go and see if the rumours are true. No one really knows for sure what has happened to Thrain. Many believe he his dead, others think he has been captured by the Orcs, or just simply wandering in the wild. A dwarf of the Firebeards, Uri's Folk, brought the news. There is something not right about it, but I can't quite put my finger on it. 

The prospect of travelling I found both exciting and daunting, and the most daunting was the idea of visiting the farm again. I wasn't sure what state I would find it in and the idea of returning to a place where my family had died filled me with dread. I don't know how I would feel about the place once I got there but at least I think I'll have some idea if I could live there again.

The cart was loaded with tools that had been made in the forges for sale in Bree. There were some weapons amongst them, but the majority of the goods brought along for trading for food was tools and unworked ore. 

Kili rode on the cart with me for the first part of the journey, tying Bungo to the back. I was glad of his company.


	49. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 23rd Entry

17th Solmath, 2940

The snows had been replaced by rain once we got into the lower mountains and it was a difficult thing to keep dry. As well as my diary, I had brought along the books the druid had given me to study, but I kept them wrapped up as I didn't want them getting wet. I will not be writing long entries into my diary, either for that reason. (And I suspect that I won't have a lot of time to write, anyway). The tools had been covered in a few layers of sacking and it did help to keep much of the rain away from the tools, if not completely dry. Kili still traveled on the cart with me and we huddled together under a spare piece of sacking, but we were still soaked through.


	50. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 24th Entry

18th Solmath, 2940 - Day

We came upon a sad sight. The inn where Fili, Kili, Nori and I had stayed to shelter from the snow storm before Yule had been destroyed and raided by orcs. We found the bones of the inn keeper and his wife, but they were broken and scattered over a wide area, scavenged by wild animals. We discovered honey, preserves, and grains in the cellar which were salvageable, along with wine, mead, beer and some ales, but the meat and vegetables were spoiled and that we left. I felt weird about taking the stuff, but the innkeeper no longer had any use for it. We did wonder just how far the orcs' raiding had spread.


	51. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 25th Entry

18th Solmath, 2940 - Evening

Thorin didn't like the idea of lingering long in the ruins of the inn, and we pressed on, travelling longer into the evening than we normally would have. We found shelter that evening in a small cave and a stew was made from a pair of mountain hares that someone had caught. Bombur complained about the amount of stew it produced, as it was very little and Thorin told him to shut up. 

That night, I dreamed of pancakes, roast joints, fruit pies and heapings of vegetables, especially 'taters. The drawback is that I woke hungrier than ever, but at least the dreams didn't involve my family, or attacks by orcs, and that was a bonus.


	52. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 26th Entry

19th Solmath, 2940

The rain hampered our progress because the cart frequently gets stuck in the mud, and I am fed up of riding in the cart. I persuaded Bofur to let me ride his pony for a while. Fili, Kili and I rode ahead, with Trotter bounding along in front of us, his nose to the ground on a scent. We decided to follow him, even if it did take us a little out of our way. It turned out that Trotter found the trail of a hart and Kili was able to bring it down with his bow.

We stopped early that day to butcher the beast. It didn't bother me because I was used to such things happening on the farm and we ate better that night. Thorin was in a happier mood, the happiest I had seen him since the Yule celebration. We probably drank a bit too much mead and ale that evening, and made enough noise with singing to wake the dead. Thorin and Bild took the first watch that night.


	53. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 27th Entry

20th Solmath, 2940 - Early Morning

The next morning I awoke with a bit of an headache and lying closer to Kili than I think I should have been. I think the secret's out now, assuming it had ever been one. No one commented on it, though, which surprised me. Perhaps it was accepted that Kili and myself are involved? I don't know and I was too self-conscious to ask.


	54. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 28th Entry

20th - 21st Solmath, 2940

We came up on the farm later in the morning. The place looked so desolate without the animals. The out buildings were beyond repair, battered by the winter storms. We did see the odd bones laying about the place, wild animals that had a fondness for meat must have had a feast of what had been left of our animals. When the farm house came with in sight, Thorin called a halt and told the dwarves to wait while he, Fili, Kili and myself went forward to have a look at the place. 

The familiar dry-stone walls looked the same, and the house itself looked to be in good repair, for Thorin and the three dwarves who had been with him had boarded the place up before they left to keep out wildlife. 

Thorin led the way, as he wanted to show me where they had laid my family to rest. Kili walked along beside me, a comforting arm around my shoulders, and Fili walked behind us. I think it was as we walked that Thorin realised the depth of the bond between me and his youngest nephew, that it wasn't some trivial dalliance. I knew then that Kili would always be there for me and that I had not just lost a family, but had gained one, also. The graves came in sight, four of them next to each other. 

"We buried the older man and the woman next to each other," Thorin said, as I knelt down in front of the graves. "We figured that they were your parents. The young men we buried to the right of them. If you give me their names, I can have the stone masons make up a marker."

"That would be good," I said. "Thank-you." 

"And now we can talk about your marriage to my nephew," Thorin said. Thorin turned to Kili. "If your mother agrees."

"How did you know?" Kili asked.

"I'm not blind, lad," Thorin replied. "And I know you talked it over with Balin. Of course, it won't be for some time yet, so don't do anything foolish in the mean time."

There was a pause, before Thorin continued. "But there is one snag. We'll have to find your brother a nice dwarf lady. Can't have him cavorting with elves anymore, can we? I have written to Dain, to see what he suggests."

Thorin gave me the key to the farm house and left us. Fili turned to Kili. "I hope Dain suggests someone who I can grow to like."

Kili and I went up to the farmhouse to have a look around.

"Would you want to live here, after we are married?" Kili asked when we were in the living room, a once cosy place, one once full of happy memories, now all I could see was death.

"I don't know. I was thinking of moving out my parents' furniture and belongings - I suppose they are mine, now, and selling the place. It would have been different had they died of natural causes. I just don't feel safe here anymore."

"That's a shame. I could see us sitting in here on a winter's night, with a roaring fire, good food and telling our children stories," Kili said.

I laughed. "Of dragons and druids, I suppose," I replied. "I don't even know if dwarves and hobbits can have children together."

"It would be fun to find out," Kili said, taking me in his arms and kissing me, deeply.

"I'm sure it would," I said, and it was very tempting at that moment to lead him to my old room.

"Aren't tha going ta get 'kettle on?" Bofur asked, poking his head round the door. "We're freezing ought 'ere!"

And so the farmhouse was invaded by rude, but extremely friendly dwarves. As hostess, though, I don't think I was much good because the larder was badly depleted before we arrived. Most of the fresh food (or food that had been fresh shortly before my parents had been killed) had gone mouldy, so the only thing I had were preserves, pickles, oats and other types of grains. We made a stew with the last of the venison and we spent the night (at least) warm and dry with a roof over our heads.

Kili and I retreated to my room so we could continue our conversation. He looked over the books on the shelf - most of them were fairy-tales (a girl's hopes and dreams) or books on animals and plants. There was a pile of embroidery on the bed, a Yule present I had been making for my mother. I told Kili that, and said that memories like this made it impossible to live at the farm.

Kili enfolded me in his arms and he kissed my forehead. "What do you intend to do?" he asked.

"I could sell the place, on the condition that my family's remains are undisturbed, and that I can visit the graves when I wish. I would like to start afresh."

"The Shire is close to Bree. We could see if we could find a place there, though it would mean moving away from family."

"You shouldn't have to do that," I said. "We'll make our home in the mountains."

"I would like that," Kili said.

"I can sell the farm and we could use the money to build our home."

"You keep the money. There may be a time when you need it. I will see to our home. We will be needing it. We would never get enough privacy living in the same house as my mother and Uncle."

A head poked round the door. 

"Kili, tha Uncle wants thee," said Bofur.

"Nor here, it seems," I said. I watched Kili leave the room and sighed, wishing for what seemed like the millionth time that my parents and brothers were still alive so I could share this with them. Would I even have met Kili had they not died? What if the dwarves had come to the farm sooner that day? What if the orcs had never come our way? The fates are cruel at times, but they also place opportunities in our path as well. If I had a choice between my family and Kili, could I have chosen? That is a concept I really do not want to think about because that path would lead to insanity. 

I left my room and rejoined the dwarves. The place was a mess, but to be honest, I didn't really care because what I valued most was buried in the field outside. 

Bofur tried to cheer me up. 

"Why so glum, lassie?" he asked. "Tha'd better git rid o' that frown o' thine, or tha'll end up wi' a face as long as Thorn's, an' trust me, tha really dunt want that!"

He passed me a half-pint mug of mead and I wondered if there would be any drink left by the time morning came with the way the dwarves were making their way through it. 

In the end, I was glad that my first visit back home was in the company of these dwarves - they at least made the place seem less desolate, even if I really didn't feel like celebrating inside.

I slept in my own bed that night, or to put it more accurately, I tried to. It was difficult with all the conflicting thoughts chasing themselves around my head. 

There wasn't a lot of space with this many dwarves and Kili had somehow managed to get my bedroom floor as his sleeping space for the night. My tossing and turning must have kept him awake, though, because at some point he asked if I was alright. He got up then and sat on my bed beside me. We spoke in whispers and at that moment I felt like I could tell him anything and that he'd always be there. Eventually, I was able to get to sleep with the dwarf I had come to love watching over me.

It was late when we woke and I don't think we would have emerged at all if Fili hadn't poked his head around the door. 

"We're ready to go, Kili and you two aren't up yet," he said. 

Bild, Lyngheid, Dori, and Oin had already left and Thorin was waiting for us and was starting to get a little impatient. Trotter yawned and stretched as dogs do when they are tired and I think he looked how I felt. In twenty minutes we were both ready. 

Quite unexpectedly, I saw that the dwarves had tidied up and the place looked cleaner than when we arrived.

"Mam says we must always leave a place better than when we found it if we are visiting," Fili explained when I commented on it.

"Cousin Balin said that it made things go a lot more smoothly during the wandering years," Kili added. 

The morning was bright and sunny, but the wind did have a bite to it. I was relieved to be leaving the farm behind.


	55. Kili's Journal, 27th Entry, (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

21st Solmath, 2040

Fili and I have picked up signs that we are being followed. This has all of us on edge and I have loaned my knife to Hilda as she is the only one of us who is weaponless. She didn't want to take it, because she doesn't feel comfortable with it. I could understand where she was coming from - she didn't want to hurt anyone.

"There are times when you have to lass," Dwalin said, for he overheard our conversation. "To save yourself, or someone else."

I think Dwalin was trying to give her some encouragement, but unfortunately, Uncle Thorin over heard the conversation too. "If you are unable or unwilling to fight, you are of no use to us."

"She's just not a fighter, Uncle," I said, not realising it was the wrong thing to say.

"That much is clear," my Uncle replied.

It sparked off a discussion on the usefulness of hobbits. Sometime later, while we were making camp and Fili and I were watching the ponies (a task often assigned to us), I apologised to her. It was my fault for bringing it up, I said.

"But they are right, I am useless in a fight," Hilda said. 

"You've not lived a life of war as they have. You've never had to," I said. "I also would not say that you are useless."

She wasn't. She'd acted quickly that day she'd saved my life and when one of us were hurt, or ill, she was one of the first to offer help. She has a gentle heart and it doesn't make her weak, even if the other dwarves think otherwise. It is one of the reasons I had come to love her.

We are watchful for trouble on the road.


	56. Kili's Journal, 28th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

22nd Solmath, 2940 - Morning

If there was one thing that had been unexpected on this journey, it was Uncle's Thorin's blessing to marry Hilda. I thought he would be dead set against it, but he wasn't. Uncle Thorin is often stubborn in his ways, but it is not unknown for him to surprise you.

Fili, Dwalin and I rode ahead. It was our job to ensure the way was suitable for the passage of the cart and it was Dwalin's job to ensure we didn't encounter any trouble and to get us out of it if we did. Uncle Thorin rode along side the cart with Bofur and Bifur as guards and Gloin and Bombur rode behind the cart.


	57. Kili's Journal, 29th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

22nd Solmath, 2940 - Midday

As we left the mountains behind us, the landscape began to loose its wildness, particularly once we had crossed the river and entered the swamps. We were on the borders of the Shire. Progress through the swamp was hampered by the cart getting stuck constantly. If progress had been bad up in the mountains, it was worse here. We constantly had to stop to dig the cart out I am writing this entry during one of those forced breaks. Had it not been for the importance of it for carrying the tools, I think we would have abandoned it. 

All of us are miserable and if there is one fault that Uncle Thorin has, it is his tendency to be snappy with everyone. I've noticed that he is worse without Mam around to deflect it. I hope his mood improves when we're past the swamp.


	58. Kili's Journal, 30th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

22nd Solmath, 2940, Early Evening

We are still being followed. 

There has been some discussion over the validity of the Firebeard's story. Some thought my Grandfather is dead and that looking for him will be futile. But opinion was divided on the issue. Dwalin was one of the dwarves who thought that my grandfather was dead. 

My Uncle and Dwalin then had a dreadful row. Uncle Thorin blamed Dwalin for my grandfather's disappearance - this was because Dwalin had been one of the dwarves who had accompanied my grandfather on the expedition where he had disappeared. Dwalin and the dwarves with him had searched for my grandfather when he disappeared but had found no trace of him. This didn't stop the row and sadly, only made it worse. Uncle Thorin accused Dwalin of abandoning his king, of failing in his duty. Gloin tried his best to stop the row, but Uncle Thorin and Dwalin took no notice of him and when Hilda, Fili and I tried to intercede, we were told to shut up as we were deemed too young to know anything about it. I could not think of any time I would have liked to have orcs show up so that we would have had something to divert our attention to. 

The thing is, I don't think my Uncle ever gave up hope that my grandfather is alive, and it is a crushing blow when all the evidence points otherwise. 

One question remained though. If my grandfather still lived, why had he never returned to Ered Luin? Was he ashamed of his failure? I hoped that my Uncle was right, more for his sake than anything else, but logic had to agree with Dwalin's assessment.


	59. Kili's Journal, 31st Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

25th Solmath, 2040

`We reached a part of the swamp where the ground was firmer than in other places, but it was also heavily covered in willows which did a good job of concealing our attackers when we stopped to set up camp. It was Trotter who alerted us to the danger. He must have scented them and barked loudly. Hilda tried to calm him down but he wouldn't shut up.

Shortly after, they were on us, a band of human mercenaries. A group of them went straight for Uncle Thorin and Bofur, Bifur and Bombur went to his aid. Uncle Thorin is a brilliant swordsmen, holding them off quite well with his sword, Deathless, but even he couldn't hold out on his own. Bofur defended his king with his mattock, and Bifur used his boar spear to good effect. Bombur, who had been setting up the camp fire so he could prepare our meal with Hilda's help, took a more creative approach to the problem and used his cooking saucepan as a weapon. 

Both Fili and I wanted to go to Uncle's aid, but the other lot made straight for us. I didn't have time to use my bow, so I drew my sword instead and Fili and I fought back to back. Dwalin, good combat instructor that he his, taught us from when we first began training to defend each other like this, and so it was something that we were used to doing, and Dwalin used his great axes, Grasper and Keeper to aid us. 

I caught a glimpse of Hilda in the melee, Trotter was stood in front of her, hackles raised, ready to die defending her if need be. But that poor dog would never stand a chance against the pair of mercenaries that decided to go after her. One of them knocked Trotter aside when he lunged at him with his shield and, I watched in horror as the dog was thrown to the ground. I tried getting to her, but couldn't. 

Gloin, fortunately, had also seen what was happening and was in a better position to aid her. Oh thank Mahal for his intervention! The thought of her being cut down, or worse, in front of me was more than I could bear, and quite cowardly of the men to go after her like that. Gloin took out the man who had possibly killed Trotter, and Uncle, also seeing what had happened, took out her other attacker. Uncle Thorin, Gloin, Bofur, Bifur and Bombur then stayed near her for the rest of the encounter. 

I didn't know this at the time, as my attention had been so focused on my hobbit lass, that Fili and Dwalin had between them, saved my life several times.

"You know, laddie, you really should pay more attention to what is happen to you in a fight," Dwalin said after the confrontation was over. The men, though fiacre opponents, did not match our skills and we dispatched all of them. Dwalin thumped me on the back to make his point.

Hilda was knelt down beside Trotter when I got to her, with Uncle at her side, his arm around her shoulders and Bofur was examining him. I was almost too afraid to ask, because I didn't want to know it if the dog was dead, but I did anyway.

"His he dead?" I asked. 

"Just ought cold," Bofur replied. "Though ah dare sey, he'll be bruised fo' a while."

Fili and the others set about clearing away the bodies. They were easy to dispose of in the bogs. They were searched, because Dwalin thought that the attack had been deliberately set up to kill my Uncle, and if they could, Fili and I as well. It is possible that they trailed us to ensure who was who when they attacked and the thought was unsettling, to say the least. Nothing was found.

Uncle Thorin and I stayed by Hilda with Trotter. He might be harsh at times, my Uncle, but his protective of those less able to defend themselves when they are in his charge and that makes him a good king. Bofur and Bifur had received minor injuries in the fighting, and Hilda helped them when the camp had been cleared of the bodies.

This delayed us, somewhat, as we had to stay there while Trotter recovered.


	60. Kili's Journal, 32nd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

30th Solmath, 2940

There is also an added danger to the swamp. In places the ground is so saturated that even just standing in the wrong place can cause you to sink into the ground. We had to rescue Bifur and Bofur at one point because they sank up to their waists and we almost lost Bombur in that incident as we attempted rescue. Fortunately, this never happened to any of the ponies. I don't know what we would have done if it had, as it had been difficult enough freeing Bifur, Bofur and Bombur from the mire.


	61. Kili's Journal, 33rd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

1st Rethe, 2940

Many times we were forced to double back on ourselves and find another way through the swamps when our path was blocked by floodwaters. The ponies refused to go through it and I am glad that we didn't attempt it - there was no way of knowing how deep the water was, or if we'd get stuck in the mud below the water. And leeches were a constant problem. We mainly had the blighters attaching themselves to our legs, both dwarves, and the ponies. Hilda, in particular hated them. I even found one once on the back of my neck - I have no clue how it got there, though. Awful things. I just hoped (and I think everyone else did, too) that we wouldn't catch some illness from them.


	62. Kili's Journal, 34th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

4th Rethe, 2940

One good thing about the swamp was that it was abundant in wild water fowl and I had plenty of opportunity to practice with my bow. The only problem was then retrieving the things, depending on where they fell, and cooking the birds afterwards. Everything was damp in the swamp, including the wood so starting a fire was a bit of a challenge to say the least, but we at least ate better than we had before we entered the swamp. 

A mist hung around the place, especially at night. A few nights ago, a curious thing happened to Hilda, which I will relate here because of the mist. She had got lost in the mist when she took a walk while we, once again, had to dig the cart out. If it hadn't been for Trotter, I don't think we would have found her again. She told Fili and I when we found her of a great black dog, a shuck, that led her back to us. It was strange in that neither Fili nor I saw it, and Trotter never scented it. Uncle Thorin dismissed it as an over active imagination, but Hilda insisted that she had seen a black dog. We looked for it in day break, but never found a dog and we never even saw any physical signs that a dog had been there (other than Trotter, of course.)

Ghost dogs aren't the only strange things in these swamps. We sometimes see lights in the dark, which Bofur called will-o'-the-wisps and Uncle Thorin warned us not to wander off the path after them. I don't know what they are, or what makes them, but I will be glad when we are out of these swamps.


	63. Kili's Journal, 35h Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

6th Rethe, 2940

I was relieved, in fact, I think we all were, when we were finally out of the swamp and into the Shire proper. There was an inn close to the hobbit village near the swamp which was run by a hobbit and his wife to cater for travelers out of the north, and on their way there. It was easy for Uncle Thorin to negotiate rooms for us, a room for himself, sharing with Fili, Dwalin and I, (we didn't have the funds for separate rooms for all of us and there wasn't enough room, anyway), one for Bofur, Bifur, Bombur and Gloin and a separate one for Hilda.

Hilda drew some strange looks from the hobbit patrons, mainly because she was dressed as dwarf women do when travelling (garments provided by Mam), and because she arrived with a group of dwarves. I hear such things just aren't done in dwarf society and Hilda told me it would be worse if they knew about the incident with the bandits before Yule, the tree incident, the attack by orcs on Thorin's Gate, her acquaintance with the druid and that it was best to make our relationship low key while we were at the inn. 

I had to ask if it had been different if we already had been married. She said it would have raised some eyebrows, as it was unexpected, but the status of being married would eventually have over come it. 

The innkeeper's wife had her work cut out for her cleaning our mud stained clothes (and she charged extra for the service, the penny-pinching old trout) but it was a relief to get out of them and to have a bath to get rid of the swamp mud. We had to borrow clothes from the innkeeper's stock of spares for travelers while our own was cleaned. 

When Hilda joined us at the table wearing 'proper' hobbit women's clothes she looked unhappy. When she asked for half a pint of mead, the tavern wench refused her and brought her tea instead. Even when she lived on the farm with her family, she was unaccustomed to wearing clothes which were considered appropriate for hobbit women. 

"I think being in the company of dwarves has loosened my social inhibitions, somewhat," she muttered.

I hated seeing her unhappy.

The food was better than anything I'd eaten since the Yule feast and she cheered up once she'd had something to eat.

Some of the local hobbits came to the inn as evening came on.

Bofur started off the evening's entertainment by singing a few dwarf ditties and the hobbits, once they had got some ale inside them, responded in kind by singing some of theirs. There was enough space to dance in the middle of the floor and some of the hobbits did so. I asked Hilda if she wanted to and we joined them. Fili, Bofur, Bifur and Bombur joined in too. Uncle Thorin, too dignified, miserable, no majestic, to engage in such things refused to, and Dwalin, well, he never did because he was too busy looking for potential threats to his king's life (and by default, Fili's and mine as well.) Gloin was of the same mind in this place, but I don't know why - the hobbits looked about as dangerous a new born litter of puppies. 

The hobbits taught us some of their tavern songs and we taught them some of our more light-hearted meadhall songs and it was a good night all round. Trotter snoozed curled up in front of the common room's fire, his tail draped over his nose. 

Later, when we were getting ready for bed, I sneaked Hilda a flask of mead and she kissed me like she did that night in the hayloft. It was very difficult to leave her door that night, and I don't think I would have if Fili hadn't dragged me away.


	64. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 29th Entry

7th Rethe, 2940

It was a nice, clear morning the next day and I decided that it would be nice to take first breakfast in the beer garden. I noticed the day before that the snowdrops were out and the daffodil's were well on their way to flowering. I was hoping that Kili had not eaten yet, but when I went into the common room, I found that I was disappointed. I glanced out of the round window and saw that Thorin, Fili and Kili were having what appeared to be an intense conversation. 

"Ah wouldn't go out there, just yet, lass," Bofur said.

"Why ever not?" I enquired.

"Just gi' 'em some time t' talk," Bofur replied.

"Alright," I said, sitting down at the table with him. There was a teapot that was still warm and a plate of scones. I decided to pour myself a cup and tackle a couple of the scones while I waited - I could always take second breakfast outside with Kili later. 

"Oh, tha might be interested in reading this," Bofur said, passing me a copy of Ori's Ered Luin Chronicle. Part of me was pleased that he had finally succeeded in getting the printing press to work. I looked clueless at the runes printed on it. They didn't mean anything to me because I can't read dwarven runes and said so. Bofur read it out to me.

"Is this what they are discussing out there?" I asked.

"Aye," Bofur replied.

Some how, the notion of having second breakfast left me completely and I lost my appetite for the first. Ignoring Bofur's advice, I went out into the beer garden.


	65. Kili's Journal, 36th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

7th Rethe, 2940

At breakfast, I saw Bofur looking at a large sheet of printed paper with runes on it.

"Is that Ori's Chronicle?" I asked.

"Yep. T' innkeeper seys it comes b' raven every week."

It was printed on both sides. "Want t' 'ave a look?"

"Sure," I said. This edition of the Ered Luin Chronicle had details about the recent attack by orcs on Thorin's Gate, and the efforts to rebuild. Quite boring, really, if you'd been there, so I skipped it. Dwalin had a column. "I didn't know Mister Dwalin contributed to this," I said.

"Oh aye, he usually does the weekly court round up section. Ori refuses to do it, 'cos Nori's in it almost every week." And he was in it again in this edition.

Another surprise - Mam, with Bild, did a dwarf women's fashion column. I didn't even know she was interested in dwarf women's fashion. This week it was about beard braiding. (Ironic, since neither of them had grown beards for years.) The druid woman had an astrology column which predicted doom and gloom for just about everyone's star sign except for mine and Hilda's, which predicted love. I suspect someone had inside information - no one ever takes such things seriously and they are never that accurate. I turned it over to read the other side, which was taken up by Ori's gossip column and sports results.

"It says here that Bombur recently won a pie eating contest at the Cabbage, but that must have been weeks ago."

"There's not allus room t' fit everything in, so Ori puts old stuff in on a slow week," Bofur replied. 

"I thought Ori had only just started doing this," I said.

"Oh he used to hand write it an' t' distribution wasn't wide, 'cos it took so long to make copies that way. It didn't have a wide distribution, and that was why he and Lofnheid were keen on gettin' the printing press built. Ah'm surprised tha' didn't know that. Ori's best customer is the human who runs the local chippy. He uses it to wrap the chips up in."

I was inclined not to bother with reading the gossip column, but something caught my eye. It was then that I noticed the headline for the gossip column. 'Getting cosy in the hobbit hole - dwarf prince's secret love nest.' It was an account of the night Hilda and I had spent in the hayloft. I think I must have went bright red.

"The gossip column's allus my favourite, though," Bofur was saying. 

"Have you read this edition's?" I asked.

"I hadn't got round to it yet," Bofur said, taking it back from me. He laughed.

"I'm gonna kill Ori the next time I see him."

"It's true, isn't it?"

I figured that I couldn't really lie about it, as it would be blindingly obvious if I did. No wonder why the hobbits had been acting very strangely towards Hilda and it wasn't just the normal hobbit customs getting in the way.

"What else has he been saying?" I asked.

"Ah don't think tha wants t' know."

I took the paper back. There were lots of lies nd half-truths in the article and innuendo. The problem was, depending on how one chose to view it, the article could be seen as true, because that was how our behaviour could be seen to outsiders. I just hoped that Uncle Thorin hadn't read it, but that hope was soon dashed when he came in from the beer garden. I attempted to fold it up so that he wouldn't see it.

"I've already seen it," Uncle Thorin said, in that tone he used when he was really ticked off about something. "A word, please, Kili?" He indicated that we should go outside.

It was more than just a word.

We spoke in a quiet area of the beer garden and I saw that he had already spoken to Fili, because my brother was there already.

"You have brought shame down onto the line of Durin," my Uncle began. "Both of you. Fili's lying to cover up your misdeeds, you sneaking around with that hobbit girl, not to mention the shirking of your responsibilities."

"Uncle -"

Uncle Thorin cut me off before I could say anything more. "I am deeply disappointed in the pair of you, but you especially, Kili. Your father would be turning in his grave."

Fili attempted to fix things, but our Uncle wouldn't have it.

"Your actions reflect badly on your mother and I," Uncle Thorin said. "After your father died, I made an oath to bring you up as my own. Did I not teach you both the importance of conducting yourselves with honour? And now this filth is being read in all the corners of Middle-earth. Goodness knows what your cousin Dain thinks. The elves in Rivendell, Lorien and beyond will be taking delight in our shame, and the men of Rohan and Gondor will look upon our house as one of ill repute. Worse, though, is what you have done to your mother."

I opened my mouth to blame Ori for the spread of rumours, but that only made things worse.

"Don't even think of blaming Ori for this. If you had conducted yourself better, Kili, then there would have been nothing for him to write. And Hilda, did you even stop to think about her in all of this? Her life was already in tatters and you have made her situation worse."

"It's not like that at all,' I said.

"You've acted in a selfish manner and must make things right by her." 

"That's what I intend to do."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Uncle, may I ask a question?" Fili asked.

"Go ahead."

"Why did you not speak to Kili about this before? It was quite clear that something was going on between them."

"I thought, as your mother did, that it was nothing more than a courtly romance. I didn't bring it up because I thought your brother would behave accordingly and with discretion. I had not realised just how far it had gone."

"I thought I'd almost lost her, Uncle," I said, thinking that perhaps if I explained why I'd done what I had, it would at least help him understand. "I had been falling in love with her for some time, but I wanted to wait to tell her because she was still recovering from her loss. I didn't think it was right to bring it up with her so soon. Then the orcs attacked, and I wanted her to know how I felt."

"There's a big difference between telling her, lad, and what you did."

"I know that, Uncle, and I'd never intended it to happen that way." It was only partly the truth. If I had been more sure about things, if I'd known that my family and the other dwarves would have accepted Hilda as my wife, then I might have been more patient. 

The discussion was cut short with the arrival of Hilda. When she found out about the article, she was very upset about it (and placed the blame squarely on Ori's shoulders). It took Fili and myself ages to calm her down. Uncle Thorin spent the afternoon writing a stern letter to Ori and Skafid over the article and paid a hobbit to deliver it to them. 

Bofur thought the whole thing was a big joke (he would) and ran the risk of getting his teeth knocked out. By whom, I'm not certain because it got to the point where Uncle Thorn, Dwalin, Fili and myself all wanted to deck him. I think we were all glad when we left the inn behind.


	66. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 30th Entry

9th - 12th Rethe

Now that we had left wilder country behind, there was a more relaxed atmosphere to the travelling as we passed through fields, farms, villages consisting of rows of hobbit houses, markets and inns. We could have bought everything we needed in the Shire, but we would get better prices for the tools in Bree and Thorin said that we could purchase what we needed on the way back. Those days were pleasant and it wasn't long before we reached Hobbiton.

I was beginning to think that it wouldn't be such a bad place to live after all, and it is easier to get to from Ered Luin than I thought it would have been. I mentioned as much to Kili and Dwalin must have overheard Kili's reply because he gave him a hard look. I would have liked Kili's company in the cart but because of the article, we both thought it would be best to stay apart for a while. It was difficult to do so, and even more so because we were so near each other. 

It was cold at night because it was early spring, but other than that it was pleasant to be out doors. Spring was far more advanced here than in the north, where it came more slowly, partly because of its northern location and in part because of the mountains. 

My grandparents and aunt on my father's side and my uncle, and cousin on my mother's side lived at Frog Morten and we stopped off to see them along the way. It took some doing to find out where they lived, mainly because I had last been here as a child and those memories are very distant now. A neighbour of my grandparents' recognised my story about living near the mountains and it seemed that my parents' leaving the Shire to make a farm there still caused quite a scandal amongst the local hobbits. The neighbour asked why I was here now and Thorin explained briefly what had happened. For once, even Bofur kept his mouth shut - there are some things that you just can't joke about. Kili came to stand at my side and entwined the fingers of his left hand with my right and I am grateful of his quiet presence. The neighbour was quite sympathetic and offered to take us to my uncle's farm. However, a passing hobbit who over heard the conversation was not. 

"That what comes of leaving the Shire. Serves them right, if you ask me," he said.

"Get back to Hobbiton, Sackville-Baggins, and bother your cousin," the neighour replied.

"What would you know of things, hobbit?" Thorin asked.

"I know enough that dwarves should stay out of the affairs of hobbits," Sackville-Baggins replied.

Dwalin looked like he wanted to chop the hobbit's head off with one of his axes, and Bofur shook his head. 

"When orcs attack people in my domain, hobbit, it is made my business," Thorin replied. "And you need to learn not to be rude to kings. It's unhealthy for you."

"You're a king? You look like a bunch of travelling vagabonds to me, sir dwarf," Sackville-Baggins replied, rather insultingly. 

Thorin nodded to Dwalin and the warrior dwarf did an excellent job at intimidating the hobbit just by moving towards him and looming over him. The hobbit muttered an apology, more to save his skin, I am sure, than out of respect for a king, and quickly left.

"Well met, Dwalin," Thorin said. Bofur laughed. Of course, he would find it funny. He finds everything funny, accept when it is something really serious. Our guide was a Brandybuck and he gladly led us to my uncle's farm. The farm was now run by my cousin, but my uncle still lived there and worked on it with his son.

I felt like they needed to know what had happened to my parents and brothers, as I am not sure if they knew. My aunt had never married and lived with my grandparents and cared for them in their advancing years. My cousin, Callum, was about the same age of my brother Siegfried would have been, and he had a wife called Deidre. They had three children, Rosie, who was the eldest daughter, who was seven and five year old twins (non-identical) called Jimmy and Tom. All three seemed to love Thorin, who had a good way with them. Bofur, (much to the brothers' embarrassment), said that they reminded Thorin of Fili and Kili when they were nippers.

We stayed there for a few days and although what had brought me there was probably the saddest news that I could ever bring them, it was a happy time. The dwarves are excellent musicians, even if some of them have more talent than others and it was quite merry in the evenings. I couldn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to, though, because being surrounded by family reminded me more of what I had lost than seeing the farm empty and derelict. It is a rather difficult thing to explain if you've not experienced it yourself. The loss of one or two would not have been so bad, but all of them? If my marriage to Kili went ahead, there would be a gaping hole where my parents and my brothers should have been.

During the first evening, it was just too much for me and I went outside to look at the stars. I could hear Bofur and his brother and cousin singing loudly. While occupied looking at the stars, my mind on my lost family, I heard heavy footsteps behind me. Initially, I thought that it was Kili come out to find me, but when I turned to see who it was, I saw that it was Thorin. I expected him to say something, but he didn't. He just offered me one of the mugs of ale he carried with him and sat down beside me. I accepted it gratefully. You can't afford to refuse a gift from a king. We drank the ale in silence and just as I thought he wasn't going to speak, he did.

"You've made quite an impression on my youngest nephew, lass," he said. Was I in trouble about that article? It seemed like I was… "Yes, I am angry about what has occurred between you and Kili. Choosing a wife is serious business for dwarves, even more so when one a heir of the Royal Line. We don't choose a partner lightly." Was he going to withdraw his permission, I wondered? He explained to me the situation with Bild, how he had loved her when he was younger, in the days before the war with the orcs. She had chosen his brother over him and that would not have been a problem if he'd not been killed in the war. The problem was, Bild would never be is wife because she felt like she was betraying Frerin's memory if she did. Thorin told me a lot about the losses his family had suffered since Smaug had driven them out of Erebor. A long and sad tale, to say the least. I think he understood my loss more than anyone else could have done and in some ways, it gave me some strength to find that someone as strong as the dwarf king could be laid as low as myself in the face of loss. It did make me wonder though if I had the strength to deal with it. I doubted that I did, even now. 

He also made it clear to me that he would continue to support me if I chose to stay with the dwarves. 

"Hey Kili, have you -" it was Bofur come looking for Thorin and we turned to see Kili and Bofur in the garden behind us. I wondered how long Kili had been there, listening to our conversation? Thorin and I walked back into the house with them. I was glad we'd spoken.

Hobbit homes, especially those in the Shire, are usually quite large when they have been built to house a family. The farm house of my parents was quite modest in comparison and there was no trouble at all in accommodating us. Deirdre put me up in a bedroom near her and Callum, incase I needed anything in the night. Once again I had trouble sleeping and I wondered if it would always be this way but instead of worrying about it, I decided to take advantage of it and write in my diary. It does help, writing out some of my sadness, but I don't think I would ever have the strength in the future to come back and look at what I have written. Who would want to read it? 

There was a knock at the door as I sat at the table writing out the events of the day. A moment later, Kili poked his head around the door. He left the door open, so that if anyone passed, they would see that we weren't doing anything. I got to my feet and a moment later I was in his arms and he kissed me. Oh how I had missed him kissing me! The sound of a cough forced us to break apart, and in the doorway stood Fili. I think we were both relieved to see that it was Fili who caught us. Fili wanted to talk about what had happened with Ravauvial. I didn't know that he was still hurting about that, and neither did Kili. We discussed it for a few minutes, but were interrupted when Rosie, Jimmy and Tom came in. My little cousins were excited to meet me and they were too wound up to be able to sleep, and they wanted a story. Kili obliged by telling them a tall tale about Durin the Deathless battling a dragon single-handedly and winning. I am sure it was complete rubbish, but it entertained them. 

After a while, a rather annoyed Dwalin looked in. "Go to bed or keep it down, would you?" He thought he was just addressing Fili, Kili and myself, but when he saw the wide awake children…. "Telling them stories of dragons is hardly going to get them to go to sleep, young Kili."

"What do you propose, Mr Dwalin?" 

Dwalin laughed softly. "Leave it to me," he said. "I'm good at getting young 'uns to go to sleep. I practiced enough on you two, young Ori, Gimli and my own."

Dwalin made the three young hobbits lay down on my bed and started to softly sing to them. His singing made me yawn and sleepy, and I noticed it had that effect on Kili and Fili as well. The children dropped off first, and then I did. I'm not sure what order Kili and Fili fell asleep in, but when I woke up the next morning, they were sleeping on the floor beside me, and the young hobbits were still deeply asleep.

Little Rosie, Tom and Jimmy combined did a lot to ease my grief. They brought the light back even where the dwarves themselves, Kili included, had failed. It made me think of my future with Kili. Would we ever have children of our own? Was it even possible, with me being a hobbit and him a dwarf. Callum and Deirdre were so lucky.

But all too quickly it was time to leave again. 

My grandmother really did want me to stay with them and it was extremely difficult for me to turn her down. I know some of the dwarves wanted me to stay behind, not out of malice but because they thought it was the best thing for me. But my heart belongs to Kili and I could not stay. My cousin now ran the farm that my uncle had run. (It had belonged to my grandparents on my mother's side, but they had long passed on). It was tempting to want to live on a farm again, and if it had not been for Kili, I would have. I promised that I would visit them as soon as I could.


	67. Kili's Journal, 37th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

13th Rethe - Night

While the Company slept, I took the opportunity to go off on my own and went to the top of the hill in which we camped on. The moon was full and bright, and the sky was clear of clouds so that the stars could clearly be seen. It is on a night like this that I felt like I should give thanks to Mahal for my good fortune at finding Hilda. It is difficult for dwarf men to find a woman. Mam tells me that the reason why there are so few of them is that they were the first to battle Smaug when he attacked Erebor, and later they suffered heavy losses in the War with the Orcs. It was not out of weakness why they died, which is often thought by other races, but because they were too brave… The reason why they are not mentioned in our recent histories is because the sorrow at their loss is too great for the men of my people to bear. And as finding Hilda is such a rare treasure, I wanted to thank Mahal and his lovely wife for putting her in my path so that I would have a lass to spend my life with. 

The ritual is simple. I made a fire, and spoke blessings in Khuzdul as I sacrificed mead to them. Towards the end, I heard footsteps and turned to see who it was, expecting it to be Dwalin who was due to relieve me, but it was Hilda instead. Trotter had led her to me.

"Hello, love," I said.

"I was wondering where you had got to, Kili," she said. "What are you doing?"

I made sure that there was no one around to over hear our conversation, but it was rather difficult to do in the darkness. I told her about Mahal, and some of the legends surrounding him, about how he had made the vessels to carry the sun and the moon. We sat down in front of the fire, Hilda in front of me and I told her more, my arms wrapped protectively around her. I probably told her far more than I should have done. Dwarves tend to keep our culture and traditions secret to outsiders, but if Hilda was to be my One, and live with us, I really saw no harm in telling her things we wouldn't readily discuss with outsiders. We watched the embers of the fire die away and I was even tempted to tell her my dwarven name, but Dwalin interrupted us. I really don't think that he was pleased finding us like he did. I hoped this did not get back to my Uncle!


	68. Kili's Journal, 38th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

25th Rethe

The day we arrived in Bree was marked by heavy rain, which I think just about suited the place. It is grim! The buildings hung over the street, which was barely wide enough for the cart to get through. Uncle Thorin narrowly missed being drenched with the contents of a chamber pot someone was throwing out of an upstairs window. It was difficult for Fili and I not to laugh. Clearly, unlike the Shire, Bree had not heard of plumbing. I didn't want to know what filth was mixed in with the water we were stepping in, but it stank. 

Fili and I were given the task of caring for the ponies while Uncle Thorin organised rooms for us. It was getting quite late in the afternoon and we were in luck - apart from the rooms already taken by Hilda, Bofur, Bifur and Bombur, the hobbit wing of the Prancing Pony was empty.

Aside from Uncle Thorin, who said that he would eat later, we had a meal, and while we were eating, Bofur, Bifur and Bombur joined us. Afterwards, Bofur, Bifur and Bombur went out into the village for the evening, and they persuaded Uncle Thorin to allow them to take Fili with them. Uncle Thorin warned Fili to be careful. Dwalin and Gloin, tired from the journey, reluctantly retired. It was unlikely that anything would happen in a busy inn, Uncle Thorin assured us. One of the ponies had picked up a sharp stone in its hoof, and Uncle Thorin said he was heading out to see the local farrier and ask him to take a look at it in the morning.

So Hilda and I were left alone in the common room together. It was quite tempting to take the opportunity to go back to her room and be alone together. Who would know? But I think we've had enough complications, so we stayed in the common room instead.

Hilda and I found a quite corner in the common room to play Hnefetafl for the evening - no one could complain about that, could they? Hilda was still hungry, something I was used to with her being a hobbit, especially in a place with plenty of food and she asked the bar wench to get her some stew and some mead for us both. It was probably just as well that we didn't sneak off - Uncle Thorin arrived back before her meal had arrived. He spoke to the same serving wench and sat down at a table in front of the fire. Just as he was doing so, Dwalin came back into the common room and stationed himself so that he could keep an eye on my Uncle. It was still raining heavily outside.

While Hilda and I had been looking for a quiet corner, a pair of unsavory looking characters eyed my Uncle rather intently, as if they recognised him. My hand hovered over the hilt of my sword. I glanced at Dwalin, and he had clocked them as well. Hilda's meal, and that of my Uncle Thorin arrived.

"Hilda, get ready to cause a distraction," I said, quietly, but there was no need to.

An old man dressed in grey and wearing a pointed hat sat himself down at the table across from my Uncle. 

"Who is that?" Hilda asked.

"I have no idea," I said, relaxing. I don't recall ever seeing the old man before.

He and Uncle Thorin seemed to be having a very intense conversation, and it got the interest of several of the inn's patrons, including the men who had been staring at Uncle Thorin since he sat down. The old man seemed to notice this, and broke off the conversation. Uncle Thorin and the old man got up so they could go finish their conversation in private. Now that got my curiosity. I quickly gathered up the gaming pieces and put them away.

"What are you doing?" Hilda asked.

"I want to find out what my Uncle and the old man are talking about," I replied.

I noticed that Hilda didn't leave her stew behind, nor the mug of mead. I left mine, as I wasn't that hungry.

Trotter, who was very good at following scent trails, tracked Uncle Thorin to another part of the inn. It wasn't in the hobbit wing, either. We could hear Uncle Thorin and the old man talking behind a door which Trotter led us to, but we couldn't make out any of the words as they were too muffled. I crouched and put my ear to the door, and still holding her bowl of stew, Hilda did the same. 

"Can you make anything out?" I mouthed to Hilda.

Trotter, with a sigh, laid down at my feet, and I casually stroked his head.

"I can't," Hilda replied.

"Just a moment, Thorin," I heard the old man say. "We seem to have picked up a pair of eavesdroppers."

The door opened inward and Hilda and I, leaning on the door, fell forward into the room. Hilda lost her stew as it spilled everywhere.

"Kili!" Uncle Thorin growled.

"Do you make an habit of listening at doors, son of Dis?" the old man asked.

"Not really, no," I replied, as I got to my feet. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage."

"Nephew, this is Gandalf the Grey," Uncle Thorin said.

"And you must be Hilda," Gandalf said as he regarded her with a smile. "I've read all about you two."

It was then that I noticed a copy of the Ered Luin Chronicle on the table and I wondered just how far the distribution for that blasted fish wrapper had gone. It did amuse me somewhat, though to think that Ori ate his favourite food out of his own rag.

"An exaggeration, I'm sure," I said, in an attempt to hide my chagrin. I glanced at Hilda and she had gone bright red.

"The Chronicle keeps me up to date with everything that's happening in your part of the world," Gandalf went on. "I especially like the gossip column. Very well written. I would like to meet the dwarf that writes it."

It was at that moment that I decided that it was better not to know just how far reaching Ori's fish wrapper was.

"Close the door, Kili," Uncle Thorin said. "I was going to wait until we were back in the mountains before breaking the news to anyone, but as you and Hilda are here, you may as well know, but you must keep this to yourself for now. The time to retake Erebor draws near."


	69. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 31st Entry

25th Rethe

The news, I think, surprised Kili. I have not recorded what was discussed in that meeting with Gandalf. If this diary ever got into the wrong hands, too much details about the plan to retake Erebor would prove disastrous. It is said that many look to the mountain to gain control over the treasure of the dwarves and only the dragon Smaug's presence stops people from raiding the place. All I can say is that it sounds like a reckless proposition to me. Have I found my love only to have to loose him? 

There is one other thing that bothers me. It appears that someone has put a price on the King's head, and on that of his nephews as well. Someone seeks to end the line of Durin. 

Is it why Thorin was drawn to Dunland? Perhaps is it what my parents and my brothers died for. Their deaths and that of others, and the attacks in the mountains, were all to draw Thorin and his heirs out. 

I suppose that though I don't like the idea of Kili facing a dragon, he lives a dangerous life anyway on account of who he is. It is not good, either way.


	70. Kili's Journal, 39th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

25th - 26th Rethe

Fili failed to return to the Prancing Pony that night and I don't think Bofur, Bifur and Bombur did, either. I doubted that Uncle Thorin was pleased that they stayed out since it wasted what limited funds we had, and put them in danger if they came across those hunting for us. That was my fear, you see, that something had happened to Fili. I wish they had stayed at the Prancing Pony. I found sleep elusive that night, in part because I was concerned about Fili. Bree has an unsavory atmosphere about it and as the night worn on, my worry that something had happened to him grew. After tossing and turning for quite sometime, I gave up trying to sleep, got out of bed, dressed, and slipped out into the corridor. Before I'd even registered what I was doing, I found myself at Hilda's door. Was she awake, I wondered?

Trotter was laid down in front of her door and he thumped his tail at me as I approached. Seeing him always brings a smile to my face, because it was finding him that led me to find my hobbit lass. My Âzyungâl.

I bent and stroked his head as I passed. I tried Hilda's door and found it unlocked and went inside. To my disappointment, she was sleeping. I was hoping that she'd be awake so we could talk, and I didn't have the heart to wake her, especially as sleep often eludes her. The blankets were hanging dangerously close to the edge of her bed, and she was sleeping in thin clothing. Even though spring was here at last, it still got bitterly cold at night. I didn't want her getting chilled, so I readjusted them so that she was properly covered. I kissed her forehead as I did so. 

Trotter had followed me into the room. "At least you're awake," I said in a quiet whisper. I briefly considered the wisdom of taking him for a walk around the village. It was risky - back home a midnight stroll wouldn't have phased me. Wild animals like wolves and bears know to keep away from the settlement because they would be quickly hunted if they strayed too close. Occasionally you would see something like a fox or a badger, but they are relatively harmless and if they didn't prey on livestock or we needed furs to survive the cold of the mountains, we left the animals alone. 

Here, it was animals of the two-legged variety that concerned me. I retrieved my sword from the room I should have been sharing with Fili, and took a lamp to light my way.

Dwalin was going back into his room and saw me. "Where are you off to, lad?" 

"I'm just taking Trotter out," I replied. "Fili's not back yet. I was hoping that I'd see him."

"You shouldn't worry, lad. Bofur and the others won't let anything happen to him. Though I think your Uncle will want a word with them when he sees them."

Of course, I did trust Bofur, Bifur and Bombur to guard him. They did a good job guarding my Uncle, after all. Still, they didn't know about Gandalf's news… I hoped that they were alert for trouble. "Aye," I replied. 

"Don't be too long, lad," Dwalin said. "I come look for you if you're gone too long."

I nodded, silently. Dwalin was more like an uncle to Fili and myself, than a cousin and very protective of us, but he didn't crowd us. I found it reassuring that he would come looking for me if it was needed. Trotter was at my heels the whole time and I went out into the darkness. 

Bree had an even more ill-favoured look about it in the dark than it had during the day. The streets between the buildings were either made up of cobbles or were just dirt tracks, both were equally filthy and puddles were everywhere because of the rain from earlier. The night was clear though, and there was a frostiness in the air. The moon was about half way full. 

We passed through the market place, deserted at this hour of the night apart from the odd broken down cart which could still be used by a merchant to display their goods, but just about useless for anything else. 

Trotter seemed to like the walk as he followed the scent trails of rats and other creatures that sparked his interest. We did have hounds back in Ered Luin that we used to track deer and other wildlife when we needed to hunt, and he was as single-minded as they were. I had to remember that it was his nose that had been paramount in leading us to Hilda and the thought made me smile. Over the months that Hilda had come into my life, that dog had become as important to me as any of the dwarves in Ered Luin and perhaps meant more to me than the ponies. I would admit this to Hilda, Fili or Mam, but never to anyone else. I don't think they would have understood.

I heard the sounds of a disturbance behind the next bend in the road and I drew my sword from its scabbard. Trotter barked and with a growl lunged forward. I called for him to come back, but he ignored me. I heard a shout of pain and assumed that Trotter must have bit one of them. When I rounded the corner, I saw a pair of dark figures running away, one of them limping and Trotter was nuzzling a crumpled form upon the ground. When I got closer, I could see that it was a woman. 

"Good lad, Trotter," I said, praising the collie and knelt down beside the lady. "Are you alright, my lady?" 

I looked over her disheveled appearance and even in the darkness, I could see that it was a stupid question to ask. She was far from alright. I helped her to her feet. She was tall and slender, but lacked the fairness that would have marked her as an elf, but she was still pretty all the same. It took some persuading, but she finally agreed to come back to the inn so she could be looked over. She told me her name was Ristil.

I had no choice but to wake Hilda up for the task and there was no Oin around to see her, which looking back, I now wished he had traveled with us. Hilda rose sleepily from her bed when I woke her and she thought that I had snuck into to see her…and for Mahal's sake I wish that was the case! I quickly explained to her what the problem was and she got out of bed, and shivered in the cold of the night. I handed her the woolen shawl l that she wrapped around herself to stop herself from getting chilled in the night. It was one Ori had made for her in the winter and I found that I wasn't angry with him anymore for the article he had written. He was our good friend, even if youthful silliness got the better of him at times and I am not immune to it, either, thinking back on our rash actions! I pushed her hair to one side, wrapped my arms around her and kissed the back of her neck, almost forgetting why I was there to begin with…

"Thank you, Kili. Can you take me to her, love?" Hilda said, quietly.

"Of course. I'll go to the kitchen while you see to her." Trotter had followed me and I stroked his head as I walked past him. He's a good dog.

Hilda assisted the woman while I raided the kitchen for food which could be eaten cold. I worked as quietly as I could, as I didn't want to disturb anyone. I felt a bit roguish as I searched the pantry, and I must confess that I got a thrill out of it. No wonder Nori was such a prolific thief! The difference though is that I was doing it for a good cause, and Nori, well, he mostly did it for his own benefit. I left some coin to compensate the innkeeper for his trouble and returned to the common room with a pitcher of mead, bread, cheese and some seed cakes that I'd found.

Ristil told us her story while she ate. She was one of the wood folk of Mirkwood and was searching for the wizard called Radagast because there were bad things going on in the wood. People were being attacked by dark creatures, spiders, mainly and animals were dying. There was a growing sickness in the wood, a dark shadow. 

"I don't know anyone called Radagast, but I have met a wizard called Gandalf. Perhaps he can help you," I said. "You'd better stay and talk to him."

"Dead things are on the move," she whispered. "My clan was attacked by the walking dead and I am the only survivor."

Hilda and I exchanged a glance. Could it be the druid's necromancer returned? I hoped not, but it was the most likely possibility. Of course, there could be something worse plaguing the wood. I am uncertain as to what it could be, that's for sure. 

Hilda shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I suppose we should tell Irieaga when we see her next."

There was a loud banging at the door and a shout. "Open up, innkeeper and explain yourself!"

"Hide that," I said to Hilda, indicating the pitcher of mead and the wooden pint mugs.

"You aren't going to let him in, are you?" Hilda asked.

"Would you want him to wake up the entire inn?" I replied.

The banging continued until I opened the door. Dwalin appeared, a bit angry at being disturbed, but I was at the door before he could get to it.

"Night Watch," the human introduced himself. "You do realise the time, sir. It's way past trading hours for inns. May I come in?" 

"Of course," I said.

"What's the trouble?" Dwalin asked, looking intimidating… Not that he needed to try, really. He always looks intimidating and that's when he's in a good mood…

He looked around the common room and saw that the innkeeper was nowhere in sight.

Dwalin folded his arms, glaring, but I'm not sure if he was glaring at me, Hilda, Ristil or the Night Watchman, though I suspected he was glaring at all of us. He remained silent, allowing me to deal with it.

"No trading going on?" the Night Watchman asked.

"None at all," I replied.

"Mind explaining what is going on here?" he asked.

By the fireplace, Trotter sighed.

"The lady came here in a distressed state and my wife was seeing to her comfort," I replied. I thought the truth would be better than a lie.

"A bit young to be married, aren't you sir? You're clearly a dwarf, but yet you have no beard. And she's an halfling, at that."

"We're engaged to be married," Hilda said, cutting in. A little miffed that he was poking his nose in and I dare say that I don't blame her. Can't folks just let Hilda and I be?

"Right," the Watchman said, in a disbelieving tone. "Wait a minute, a young dwarf and a hobbit woman - you're Oakenshield's youngest nephew."

"That's King Thorin to you," Dwalin cut in, angry at the disrespect shown to my Uncle. 

The Watchman laughed, which only angered Dwalin, Hilda and I even more….

"I see what's going on here," the Watchman said, taking in Dwalin. "Please accept my apologies for disturbing you, your highness."

The Watchman said it in such a way that I doubted he was sorry about anything and he left. Dwalin was seething. The Watchman left.

"Are you alright, Kili?" Hilda asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just contemplating what I'm going to do to Ori the next time I see him."

"Wrap this up, lad," Dwalin said. "I would like some rest this night."

I nodded. "We won't be long, Mr Dwalin," I replied.

"Aye, make sure that's the case."

"Why didn't you tell the Watchman about the attack?" Hilda asked. 

"What? And spend the rest of the night filling in a report, and having loads of questions to answer? I didn't even get a good look at them in the dark," I replied.

"I'm just glad that he was passing," Ristil said. "Your young man is very brave."

Tiredness suddenly came over me. I suggested that the forest woman stay the night in the stables and enter the inn when it officially opened. She could tell her story to my Uncle and Gandalf then. Maybe Gandalf had news of this Radagast. 

I escorted Hilda to her door and kissed her goodnight. It was awfully tempting to go into her room with her, and I almost did, but our relationship had enough complications without adding more to it, and Dwalin knew that we'd been up together in the night. 

And my Uncle could easily withdraw his support if he wanted, so I thought it best to play things safe. I didn't want to do anything to jeopardise that. Hilda kissed me again and this made leaving her even more difficult. As I made my way towards her room, I wondered just how long we had to wait before we could be together properly. I hoped it wasn't too long.


	71. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 32nd Entry

26th Rethe

I woke up late the next morning, which was hardly surprising given the interruption in sleep. On the table beside my bed, I found a tray with scones, an apple and a half pint of water with a note from Kili. Of course, it wasn't written in the dwarven runes, but in the common language which men and hobbits mainly used, apart from the end of it, where he had written his name in runes. I tucked the note into my diary, deciding that I would paste it in there when I got the chance. Dwarven runes are beautiful, in their own way and I am glad that he trusted me enough to let me see his name written down, though if some of the other dwarves knew, I doubt that they would like it.

It said to meet him and Fili in the market place when I was ready. Just one snag, though - I don't know where the market place was in Bree, as this was the first time I've ever been here. I didn't quite fancy wandering Bree alone, especially after last night, but I had Trotter with me, so I don't think I was too vulnerable. 

Sitting around the Inn all day held little appeal to me so I ate breakfast and got dressed, finishing by draping the woolen shawl over my shoulders. As I did so, I caught myself reflected in the mirror that was in the room. I'm becoming quite a skinny hobbit! It's all the traveling and skipping of meals like second breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea, etc. that is doing it. In spite of that, I didn't feel any worse for it, other than finding myself getting cold more easily. I tied my hair back and tucked it down my neckline. I had chosen to wear the traveling clothes rather than the dress that my grandmother had given me. I felt that it would be a good idea to try and hide my gender, at least until I was in the company of the dwarves, but I think all I accomplished was to look like a hobbit woman wearing a traveling cloak with the hood up! 

Trotter proved indispensible at finding Kili and Fili. During the days when I tended the sheep, I had learnt the value of Trotter's nose when it came to tracking, so I gave Trotter his head, and followed him. The only problem was that the village was busy and Trotter was easily distracted. So it was in a kind of round about way that we came to the market. I found Bofur, Bifur and Bombur quite easily and from the position of the sun, I guessed that it was about midday. They had set up stall opposite a hobbit selling books. He wasn't getting much trade, though, which I thought was sad. I noticed that Bofur had bought a copy of the latest Ered Luin Chronicle. I didn't want to know what was in it this time, but I thought I'd best look at it.

"We sent the lads to get some lunch," Bofur said when I asked where Fili and Kili were. 

I skimmed through the Chronicle. This week's gossip column was a retraction of the article about Kili and myself. It said that that edition of the Chronicle had not been up to the usual standard expected by the readers and that the article had never been meant for publication. Ori also said that he deeply regretted any distress it might have caused, but the damage had already been done, hadn't it? I still wanted to kill him…

Bofur caught me looking at it. "This week's edition of the Chronicle is rubbish," Bofur said. 

Apart from the retraction of the article, I had to agree.

I tended the stall when Fili and Kili returned while the dwarves had lunch.

"Why don't you lads teke Hilda 'round t' market? We ken manage," Bofur said when they had finished eating. We were reluctant to leave, but after some persuading, we agreed to go.

I went over to the book stall and looked over the books that the hobbit was selling. I found one on gardening, which I bought. I loved gardening and wanted to establish one when we got back to Ered Luin. It might take a while to establish, but I thought I'd try to make myself useful to my new friends, my new family, really and grow vegetables and other things they needed. Fili and Kili didn't seem interested at all in the books and Fili was whispering to Kili about what he had been doing the night before. I got the feeling that it was something neither of them wanted their Uncle or their mother to find out about.

It may sound selfish of me, but it irritated me a little and I wished that it was just Kili and I… After buying the book, the brothers took me to the stall where they had bought lunch and I got myself a cheese sandwich and a small cake, and some beef for Trotter. They still continued ignoring me while I ate and fed Trotter, which caused me more annoyance.

It was nice to be doing something normal, something which I'd rarely had the chance to do since my family had been killed. At the same time, I missed Tristan and Siegfried very much that day and I think that will happen many times throughout my life. 

Apart from Fili and Kili taking no notice of me, all was going well until Trotter started to growl at a pair of scruffy looking men. Fili and Kili were inspecting an armourer's wares and didn't notice them to begin with. One of them aimed a kick at him which caused Trotter to yelp out and the other one pushed me to the ground. I don't quite recall what happened next, because it all happened too quickly for me to follow. A fight broke out with the two brothers on one side and the men that Trotter had growled at on the other. 

Trotter, his tail curled between his legs, slunk over to me and I sat there, watching the fight. It wasn't long before the village watch arrived to break up the fight. Fili calmed down quicker than Kili did, who had to be held back by men of the watch. Fili helped me to my feet and tried to explain what had happened.

"Save it for the magistrate," the watch's leader said, before ordering one of his men to arrest Fili. "And bring her, too."

So I was bundled along with them. Trotter would not be parted from me and as he showed no sign of aggression towards the men of the watch, they let him come along. We were taken to the village gaol. They placed Kili, Fili and I in one cell, after relieving us of our weapons. From the smirk on Fili's face, I don't think they got everything he was carrying - he's a freaking walking armoury… Trotter followed us inside and the two men were placed in the cell next to us. The only thing that separated us from the men was a series of iron bars and we all sat as far away from them as we could.

"Don't worry, little brother, I'm sure Uncle will be able to straighten things out for us," Fili said. 

"That's if he knows where to find us," Kili said.

I really didn't like the way the men kept staring at me and I sat as close to Kili as I could. Fili obligingly shielded me from them, for which I was grateful for. Trotter laid down in the middle of the cell floor, watching them, guarding all of us. Fili reached down and stroked Trotter's head. 

"What I don't understand is what set Trotter off," I said. "It's not like him -"

Kili hugged my shoulders. "I think I do, Hilda. They're the same men from last night." 

"How can you be sure of that?" Fili asked. "You said you didn't get a good look at them."

In reply, Kili indicated Trotter. "He knows."

This exchange puzzled me at first, until I realised that Kili must have spoken to Thorin and Fili about the incident last night. 

"That would explain things," I said.

"The trouble is," Kili said in low tones. "There isn't enough evidence that they are the ones."

We had a long wait ahead of us and we couldn't even have a game of Hnefetafl to pass the time because it had been in the bag the guards had taken from Kili. I hoped he would get it back, because that game had, quite literally, begun the romance between us. Would I be with him now if he'd not come to me that night with the game to comfort me from my loss? It is difficult to know for sure. The afternoon drew onwards and leaning into Kili, I eventually began to feel drowsy and fell asleep, the price of not being able to do anything. 

When I woke up, the light was beginning to fade, as the sun dropped below the horizon.

"They must be getting worried about us now," I whispered, when I regained my alertness.

"I don't think Uncle Thorin knows that we are here. If he did, he would have come for us by now," Fili said. 

My stomach began to feel like an empty cavern, but relief was to come, if it could be counted as such. A fat, ill tempered woman came along with a guard bearing gruel and canteens of water on a trolley and pushed bowls of the stuff under the gap at the bottom of the barred door for us, along with some awful looking spoons. Although we were all hungry, none of us were hungry enough to attempt the slop. The Prancing Pony's most basic dish of soggy boiled cabbage was beginning to look inviting, but as dwarves really hate green food, I kept that to myself. Eventually, we did pluck up the courage to eat it. Trotter was given a bone with some meat on it…lucky thing! The woman must have a soft spot for dogs, if not miscreant dwarves and hobbit lasses. Fili washed his bowl out when he finished his - we had plenty of water! And gave it to Trotter. We were in for a long night….

"There has to be a way out of here," I said, quietly, after some time.

"But if we attempt to escape, how do we know that our friends in the next cell won't raise the alarm?" Fili asked.

"Good point," I conceded. Kili, however, wouldn't be beat that easily.

"We could wait until they are asleep and then attempt it," he suggested.

Fili shook his head. "I think we would be better waiting for Uncle, or Dwalin to fetch us. They will know that something has happened to us by now. Bofur would have told him that we didn't meet back up with him, Bombur and Bifur…"

While we waited, I took the opportunity to study the cell. We could attempt to see if any of the bars were loose. Fili, of course, had misgivings. As the older of the two brothers, I think he took it up on himself to ensure that nothing happened to us, and he was also Thorin's heir. That is something that I must not forget, but in some ways, it made me more anxious to want to get us out of this place….

"Even if we did get out," Fili pointed out, speaking quietly. "How would we get past the guards without our weapons, or more importantly, without hurting any of them? They are only doing their jobs, ensuring that peace is maintained in Bree."

"So you suggest we wait?" Kili asked his brother.

"Aye. I think it is the best thing we can do, Kili," Fili answered.

While they were talking, I tested the bars to see if I could move any of them. Of course, I couldn't. They were either stuck fast, or I was too weak to budge them. I do not have a lot of strength, after all, at least not when it is compared to hobbit men, and even more so where dwarves are concerned. I know first hand that Kili is far stronger than I am. Fili didn't seem to pay attention to what I was doing - he looked lost in thought about how to get us out of this situation. Kili, of course, paid more attention to me and, with a smile, gently pushed me aside. 

"Let me try, Hilda," he whispered.

Fili shot him a look which made it clear that he didn't approve of the escape attempt, and in that glance, I caught a glimpse of his Uncle, stern, but fair at the same time. Seeing that there was no dissuading his younger brother, Fili tried to conceal what he was doing from the other inmates. 

"Oi…what are you doing, dwarf?"

"Kili, it would be wise for you to stop…" Fili warned.

Kili didn't seem to hear, his concentration fully on what he was doing. Other prisoners caught on to what he was doing, some of them yelling at him to take them with us if we succeeded in escaping, others yelling for the guards to bring to their attention what he was doing. 

"Kili…," I whispered in warning, placing my left hand on his right arm. 

"You should stop, brother…" 

It was too late, though. A couple of guards appeared, and unlocked the door to our cell. It took me all I could to stop Trotter from attacking them, for he was growling at them furiously. I knew that they would have no problems at all with killing my dog if he did attack them. One of the guards dragged Kili from the cell, while the other one punched Fili hard in the face as he attempted to assist his brother. Dazed, Fili looked up at the men from the floor of the cell while the door was slammed shut. They beat Kili up in front of us, and did so in spite of Fili's objections that he was a prince. I don't think that he was believed, because years of poverty in exile had robbed the Durins of any appearance of being Royalty. It was only apparent if you knew them well, or visited them in the Meadhall at Ered Luin, or if you witnessed the way other dwarves deferred to them. Thorin did retain an air of majesty about him, but it manifested itself in a way that indicated he wasn't beaten, that he was determined to bring dignity back to his people, despite all of the hardships that the dwarven people had endured. 

Kili was shoved back into the cell when we was almost unconscious and I tended to him. 

"It will be worse for you, if you try to tamper with the bars again," one of the guards warned us. 

I found it very difficult to hold back my tears at seeing my love harmed. Fili, I could see, was shaking with anger, though if it was at himself, or the guards, or his brother, or even me, it was difficult for me to tell. Kili squeezed my hand in his while he recovered and it was some time before he was lucid again. Fili checked him over. He was badly bruised in a lot of places, but the guards were experts at hurting people to subdue them, but without causing them so much harm that it threatened their life. It looked, and felt for Kili, at least, a hell of a lot worse than it actually was.

"There may be a way out of here," I said, quietly, looking up at the window high above us, when Kili had recovered enough to sit up.

Fili looked at the spot where I was looking. "The window?" Fili shook his head. "It's far too high…"

Loud snoring came from the cell opposite and all the other cells around us had become quiet, informing us that our "friends" were sleeping. I was anxious to get out, because I was worried about Kili. He looked dreadful, and was of little help here.

"I could climb on to your shoulders," I suggested to Fili. "And test the bars to see if they are loose…"

Fili looked around, noticing that everything was quiet. I think he was as concerned about Kili as I was. "I suppose we ought to try," he conceded.

With Kili's help, though it was quite difficult for him, given his recent beating, to hold me steady, I climbed on to Fili's shoulders. It was very difficult for me to keep my balance and I was quite wobbly. I almost toppled twice, but with Kili's help, I kept my balance - just… It was no good, though. The bars wouldn't budge and were set too firmly in position for me to even remotely hope of getting them loose. 

"It's no good, I'm afraid," I said. "They won't move at all. Help me down, Kili."

Kili did so and enfolded me in a hug. I could tell that he wanted to kiss me, but he was too self-conscious to do so with his brother present. I had to admit that I was too. 

There was nothing for it but to settle down for an uncomfortable night on the cobbled floor and wait for rescue. The drawback of hobbits not wearing shoes? My feet were freezing in that place. We tried to get some sleep on the cobbles, which wasn't easy because none of us could get comfortable. My shawl came in handy as a makeshift blanket, Kili laid on one side of me, his strong arms wrapped around me. Fili went to sleep on my other side, mainly to keep warm more than anything else. Part of what made those cobbles uncomfortable was the cold. I am sure if it had been winter, we would have frozen. Trotter slept at our feet and I was glad he was with us. 

Needless to say - it was a long night.


	72. Kili's Journal, 40th Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

27th Rethe

I woke up with a splitting headache the next morning and I was a little confused as to where I was and why, along with Hilda and Fili, due to the fact of waking up in a jail cell. The beating I'd taken only added to the confusion. After a minute or two of contemplating, it all came back to me. 

Oh Mahal, what had happened?

Uncle Thorin is going to be extremely mad with all of us when he finds out what has happened to us. It is not a prospect which I enjoy. Hilda shivered as she woke up. I hated seeing her cold, so I wrapped her shawl around her and held her in my arms as we waited for Fili to wake from his slumber. Trotter seemed to be the only one taking this in his stride. 

I noticed that we were the only ones awake, so I kissed the back of Hilda's neck as I pushed her hair aside to do so. Hilda responded by leaning in to me, and oh Mahal, it felt so good holding her like that. I started to braid her hair, mainly for something to pass the time and because I loved the feel of the touch of it in my fingers. Looking back on things, I really should have done this with her first, before that night in the hay loft, but people would have wanted to know who had braided her hair and it would have drawn too much attention, especially since people thought we'd been messing around with each other anyway. 

One of the problems that I face as a prince is that everyone is always watching what I do. You would have thought that being Royalty would have meant that I would have had more freedom than others. But this is not the case at all. In fact, the reason why Ori seems to get away with a lot of what he does is that he's not Royalty, even if he is a Durin. No one pays attention to what he does, and that is why he and Lofnheid are able to do things which neither I nor Fili would ever get away with. But if Dwalin and Dori ever found out…oh dear… 

We didn't speak to each other, just enjoyed each other's closeness and company.

I stopped braiding Hilda's hair when a groan from Fili indicated that he was waking up. When he saw what I'd done, he smirked at me. 

"Hilda, you'd better undo those braids before my Uncle sees it."

She looked at Fili, rather blankly. 

"Oh brother, you've not told her what hair braiding means to dwarves, have you?"

"It completely left my mind," I replied and I whispered quietly in Hilda's ear. She giggled and went bright red.

"I believe you've embarrassed her, Kili," Fili said, with a knowing smile. 

We all went quiet when the oaken door to the corridor clanged open as it's iron fixings banged against a cell and in strode the watchman from the Inn. It turns out that he is the Captain of the guard and a man called Hamund. He was followed by an angry looking pair of dwarves, my Uncle and Mr Dwalin. 

"You're lucky, this time that your Uncle and your war general were able to vouch for you, or you'd most likely be hanging, or sentenced to hard labour," Hamund barked at us. "And those two, we know are the real trouble-makers because they've been wanted for assaults on women in the area." 

I don't know if he was kidding about us being hung, or sentenced to hard labour, but the expression on Mr Dwalin's face made me think that he and my Uncle had come up with the idea to put the fear of Morgoth into us. The watchman unlocked the cell door and indicated for us to come out. Fili exited first, and I waited for Hilda to go through the door with Trotter before I went through. I felt lousy. 

"We're free to go?" I asked the Watchman. 

"For now," he replied, with a stern expression on his face. "I don't want us to cross paths again."

Mr Dwalin patted Fili roughly on the back between his shoulder blades. He was being encouraging, I suppose, but also wanted to express his anger at the same time. I must have looked a state, because he didn't do that to me. 

I don't recall ever seeing Uncle Thorin so angry before in my life. I was almost tempted to ask the Watchman if we could go back into the cell, so that we didn't have to face his wrath, but I don't think it would have gone down too well. Uncle Thorin indicated for me to walk ahead of him and guided me by the shoulder as he would have done when we were dwarflings and got caught out at doing something we shouldn't be doing. Hilda followed behind us with Trotter and Dwalin brought up the rear, constantly looking around for trouble that he had to defend his King and heirs from. 

I do have a lot of respect for Mr Dwalin, but I am also somewhat afraid of him as well, even though I know that he would never intentionally harm me. I was glad that he was on my side and not that of an enemy. We walked back to the Prancing Pony in silence.

When we got back to the Prancing Pony, Uncle Thorin persuaded the innkeeper to let the stable boy have the day off and paid for the lad's wages for that day. He made me and Fili spend the day doing the stable lad's job - for free. It could have been worse, I suppose, apart from the fact that at first Hilda wasn't allowed to help us even though she wanted to. Trotter on the other hand, found a fresh bale of straw to get comfortable on and watched us work. If I didn't know any better, I would swear that the dog was laughing at us, but who knows what really goes through the mind of an animal?

It became apparent, however that because of the beating I'd taken that I couldn't keep up with it and eventually, Uncle Thorin relented and allowed Hilda to join us. I sat down to watch them work together with Trotter beside me, stroking the sheepdog's head. It pleased me, somewhat, to see that Hilda and Fili got along so well. It is always good to see those that you love the most get along together so well, and I think that Mam and Uncle Thorin had accepted Hilda in the same way.


	73. Kili's Journal, 41st Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

28th Rethe

This just sucks. Uncle Thorin is in council with Gandalf, Dwalin, and the human woman Ristil Fili has been allowed in on it, mainly because there isn't a lot for him to do - in addition to the work in the stables, Uncle Thorin decided that we deserved grounding, like some children. Well, I suppose in some ways, we still are. It wouldn't been so bad if I'd been allowed in on the discussion, but I'm not and I am really curious about what they are talking about. Instead, I have to help Gloin with his accounting. Extremely dull. If it wasn't for the fact that I was still hurting from the beating I took, I would have preferred a day in the stables again. Looking after those ponies is great!

I know that doing calculations is important - Mam has to do them all the time when she's working in the forge and when she cooks if she has the time to do so, which is rarely because she prefers working in the forge than being a domestic. It is a good thing that we have Bombur and his ladies back in Ered Luin otherwise Fili, Uncle Thorin and I would never eat anything at all. She's not a bad mother, though. She is always there when we need advice and when we are ill, but you just can't expect a woman of her standing to be overly concerned with menial tasks. People look upon her as our Queen, more than a princess, and in many respects, that is what she is.

There are many who think that Bild and my Uncle should get together. It is obvious that they have a secret love for each other, and it is no one's fault that Uncle Frerin passed. My Uncle deserves happiness after all the bad things that has occurred in his life time, and Fili and I would be freed up to just be ourselves, but the latter is a selfish wish which I shouldn't feel. 

"Are you paying attention, lad?" Gloin huffed gruffly and I could tell that he was in a grumpy mood. My mind had wandered, thinking of other things.

"I'm sorry, Mr Gloin. I'm just not cut out to be an accountant," I replied. "I just don't have the discipline for it, I'm afraid to admit."

"That much is obvious. Gimli's the same - he would much rather be out practicing with my axe than sat at a desk. I don't know what is wrong with your generation. Ori and Lofnheid seem to be the only two interested in this sort of work, and that is slim at best. They would much rather be drawing things, inventing stuff or playing around with words. There is no discipline at all in folks close to your age. I despair!"

"I just prefer caring for the ponies, or being out with my bow," I admitted.

"Aye, and mooning around with that hobbit lass ye rescued. Look, if you go fetch her, you two can play that Hnefetafl game you're obsessed with, as long as you keep the noise to a minimum and don't disturb my concentration while I do this. I won't tell your Uncle that you've gone against his wishes."

I was quite surprised to be honest, but I welcomed it. I went off to fetch Hilda and I found her in her room, reading those books the druid had given her. She seemed to be enjoying what she was doing so I left her to it. Unfortunately, Uncle Thorin spotted me when he had emerged from Gandalif's room to order some ales. He wasn't happy seeing me not being where I should have been. He scalded me and I retreated back to the room where Gloin was working. I told him what had happened. 

"I'm sorry, lad. It was my fault, not yours," he gave me a notebook with music score paper. "You do like composing for your fiddle, don't you?"

"I have been attempting it. Did Mam tell you?"

"She might have mentioned it a few times when I was talking to her about problems with Gimli. If it helps, having a knowledge of mathematics is useful with composition. You just need to find a way of applying it that suits you."

I didn't know that, but having it put that way to me, some how, accounting didn't seem that bad anymore.


	74. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 33rd Entry

28th Rethe

Thorin's attitude towards me began to change. I don't know the cause. It may have been something to do with Kili and Fili getting into trouble, but what ever it was, there is a growing tension between us. He either ignores me, or he's snappy with me. I know that it annoys Kili and upsets him when it happens. Fili is sympathetic, and Bofur is still quite kindly towards me, as is Bombur. Dwalin follows the lead of his king - there is no budging him. I'm not quite sure if Bifur knows what's going on. He always seems to be in a world of his own. I think it's got to be something to do with the axe injury he had to the head. 

 

Needless to say, I feel very uncomfortable these days around Thorin and Dwalin these days. Although the other dwarves are still kind towards me, they feign disinterest in me when either of them were around, part from the two young princes. Kili, especially was argumentative, which only seemed to cause more trouble. I suppose even if they didn't like the way I was being treated, they couldn't go against their king, and even though it hurt Kili and I greatly, it looked like all idea of marriage was off. I think it was that stupid article that Ori wrote in his paper that started it off, and then this problem with the gaol. I think Dwalin may have misconstrued what Kili and I were doing that night we helped Ristal. I think he thought we'd been up to something, when we weren't. I can't even concentrate on the books that Irieaga gave me to read as my mind is all over the place. What should I do? Should I stay here, and allow this to continue, or should I take up my grand parents and my uncle on their offer to go live with them? I really, really, really do not know what to do at this moment in time. After the loss of my family, this really is the last thing that I needed.


	75. Kili's Journal, 42nd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

29th Rethe

To say that I am really annoyed with my Uncle at the moment over the way he is treating Hilda would be an understatement. I make a point of avoiding Dwalin as much as I can, but it is difficult considering that we are all on top of each other. Gloin and Bofur have tried to assure me that my Uncle will calm down eventually and begin to see sense. I really do hope that is the case. Hilda doesn’t deserve it because she was a victim of those goons and both Fili and I feel like we have a duty to protect her from harm – a responsibility we all share since we found her and she is alone in the world. Because there are so few dwarf women, something which we are ashamed of because for the most part, we failed in our duty to protect them in the past, we now have a tendency to be over protective towards women. Just because Hilda is a hobbit and not a dwarf lady, it doesn’t take those feelings away at all and my Uncle should understand that. But there are times when he can be a bonehead, where the ossification is complete when it comes to matters of family pride and honour and poor Hilda is bearing the brunt of it. It’s not her fault! I could have pursued those men with Trotter and took them down that night they tried to harm Ristil, but I didn’t do it. If there is anyone to blame at all in this regard it should be placed squarely on my shoulders and not Hilda. It would be the same even if I wasn’t in love with her, as I would be angry if any lady was being treated like she is at the moment. That, dear Uncle, who is my father in all but name, is my pride and honour!   
   
It must be noted that Fili is just as annoyed and frustrated about it as I am. He wants me to be happy, of course, as all brothers do and he has developed a liking for Hilda. He’s told me that he would support me, even if it did go against the wishes of our Uncle, and prominent figures in our community like Dwalin. He is not as vocal about it as I am, at least when other dwarves are around. He can’t afford to be. Because of the dire situation that our people are in, it is important that we put on a united front so that outsiders do not get a even a small inkling that there is a strain upon our relationships. If they knew of it, it would give them an opening to cause great harm to our people.   
   
Gandalf has taken note of the problem and I caught him having a quiet discussion with my Uncle on the matter. Gandalf, not being a dwarf, and was therefore not bound by the same restraints that we have to abide by. He was firmly on Hilda’s side, but my Uncle of course, has to be his usual, stubborn and in this case, grumpy self on the matter.  
   
“There is no place for a hobbit among my people, especially one that causes as much disruption as this particular one does. I’ve no use for her,” Uncle Thorin said.  
   
“Even as a wizard and wise as I am, I would not deem it wise to be so dismissive of the lass. I cannot see all ends and neither can you, Master Dwarf, and there are wiser people than I whom would say the same!”  
   
It did intrigue me who he was talking about when he mentioned people wiser than himself. Who could he mean? I do of course; know about Lord Elrond of Rivendell. We have regular contact with elves from his realm and the elves of Refuge of Edhelion are his people. From them, we knew about the Lady Galadriel, and Celeborn… surely he meant them? He could not mean King Thranduil of the elven realm in Mirkwood. He was a bad neighbour during our time in Erebor, or so I have been told by my Mam and others. He didn’t respect our people. He wanted us for our work, the fine work that we put into our jewellery especially but like all the elves of his line, he refused to give us proper payment for our work. I heard Gandalf discussing the situation with my Uncle. The wizard was not happy about it one bit and advised my Uncle not to throw away an alliance with a good people. Dwarves do not forget betrayals easily and my Uncle wanted nothing to do with the elves. If there ever is an alliance between dwarves and elves, I think it will have to wait until Fili is on the throne. Perhaps when the situation is seen through younger eyes instead of eyes that are old and weary, a peace can be made. As for myself, I do not know what would is the correct course of action to take on the matter, but I will say this, that peace is better than conflict, especially when we have so many other enemies to face and fight against. Warring with elves seemed a silly prospect when viewed that way, since they are a good people.  
   
The only other person that sprang to mind at the talk of wise people would have been Radagast, the wizard that Ristil had been searching for. During a quiet moment, when there were no others in the common room apart from myself, Gandalf and the barman, I asked him about it.   
   
“My dear boy, I am a part of an order of wizards called the Istari. There are five of us, in all. There is Saruman the White, who is the leader of our order. He specializes in knowledge of the scientific arts.”  
   
I looked at him, a little confused. “What do you mean by that?”  
   
“He is an inventor, of course. He can craft machines, forge weapons,” A knowing smile crossed the wizard’s face. “He’s almost like a dwarf, in his own way.” There was a glint in his eyes which made me think that there was something that he was holding back from me and it made me curious, as well as a sad tone to his voice which he tried to keep out of it, but he was unable to do so, but the expression on his face convinced me that it would not be a wise move to try and enquire further about Saruman.   
   
“There are also the two blues, but I have not seen them in a great age. They have gone traveling eastwards, far beyond the Iron Hills of your folk, my lad. They have been gone so long that I have quite forgotten their names,” he chuckled at this. I got the impression that it embarrassed him, when he seemed to be quite knowledgeable about things and to forget the names of people who were in your order….It would have been like me forgetting Dwalin, or Gloin, and I said so.  
   
“The problem, my lad, is that I have forgotten more things than most will ever know because I have so much going on in my head,” He said, in a kindly fashion.   
   
“Of all the dwarves that I know, I think Balin, Oin, Ori and Lofnheid would understand your meaning,” I said.  
   
“How is that, dear fellow?” Gandalf asked, in that kindly way that he as.  
   
“Balin keeps a library back in Ered Luin. There are books of many subjects there. Oin looks after our health, with the help of some of the ladies like my Mam, but they only assist him. Hilda is interested in such things. She’s not as useless as my Uncle thinks….”  
   
“Your Uncle is only concerned for your welfare, and that of your brother. You still look rough.”  
   
He was right, of course. Although I was healing, I still had many bruises and aches all over the place, and I still feel lousy.   
   
“I don’t like it, though. I love that hobbit lass dearly. I wish my Uncle would give it a rest where she is concerned. She has been through a lot, more than someone really should have.”  
   
“You should put your mind at ease, Kili. Now, were where we? Ah yes…there is Radagast the Brown. He is the most gentle of all of us and prefers to be with the beasts than with people. He is also a healer and watches over the woods of Rhosgobel.”  
   
“He sounds like a woman I know,” and I told him about the old woman.

“I know of her. She is a friend of my order.” I had a feeling that he knew quite a bit about this woman, but it was clear that he wasn’t going to tell me a thing, which was fine.   
   
“As for myself, I am Gandalf the Grey. I create fireworks which folk can use for their parties and celebrations. Sometimes I do other errands, like the one I am on with your Uncle here. The time is near when the mountain should be reclaimed by your people, and the dragon Smaug vanquished.”  
   
Again, I got the feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling me, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Our conversation was cut short then because all of a sudden, a group of human men entered the common room, yelling for drinks. They appeared to be drunk already and the innkeeper forced them to leave the premises before any trouble could start. The inn’s common room, however, is not the right place to be discussing the retaking of Erebor, as there was no way of knowing who may be listening in. It wouldn’t do at all to have a horde of treasure-seeking nut cases trying to take back what is rightfully ours, there is no doubt at all in my mind that they would to their best to steal our people’s legacy from us.


	76. Hilda Greenhill's Diary, 34th Entry

30th Rethe

My life really has taken a turn for the worst recently. After all the things I’ve been through, I cannot believe this is happening to me, not at all. I try to avoid everyone where possible and although I know Kili loves me, it doesn’t help. Fili and Bofur take Trotter out for me because Kili is still recovering from his injuries and I do not have the courage to go out alone, and because of the problems with Thorin, none of them will go with me. I suspect that they are under orders from him not to have much to do with me, either that, or they don’t want to risk his anger. Kili does talk to me when he gets the chance, but it is very rare that he’s able to do so, and Fili still talks to me, as does Bofur. Bofur always does his best to try and cheer me up with his jokes. Bombur and Bifur are always busy at the market – it is taking longer than we thought it would.   
   
I really will be glad when we are out of Bree and back on the road again. Even traversing the swamp is preferable to being in Bree. I can’t wait to get back to Thorin’s Gate because maybe by then relations with Thorin would have improved and even if he hasn’t, I can still talk to Ori, and even though I want to kill him for the article, he has always been a good friend to me. There is Gimli, too and he might not see things the same way as the others. Bild and Dis, I’m not so sure about, but Dis has always been able to make Thorin see sense where others can’t so she might be able to change his perspective of me – I can only hope, can’t I? I don’t know how Lyngheid and Lofnheid will react to me, though, with Dwalin being their father. I do consider those two friends, but they probably won’t want to defy him.   
   
When did I come to think of Thorin’s Gate as my home, I wondered? It was probably when we were at the farm and I saw the graves of my parents and brothers for the first time. I realized then that I could never go back to live on the farm and Thorin accepted me as one of them. I really don’t understand why he is acting as he is now, however. It hurts me more than I can ever express in words. I can only hope that his anger will blow over eventually and that he will forgive me for the problems I have caused, even if they really weren’t my fault. Maybe Kili and I spending the night in the hay loft had enraged him more than he let on? Looking back on it now, it seems a really stupid thing for us to have done, no matter how we felt about each other. We should have waited and should have been a bit more patient. I can only hope the situation can be fixed, especially since dwarves only love once in their life and the thought of Kili being alone is more painful to bear than my own misery.


	77. Kili's Journal, 43rd Entry (Translated from Dwarven Runes)

 5th – 15th Astron

We were on our way back home at last. We were forced to stay in Bree longer than we hoped because of the cost of bail to get Fili, Hilda and myself out of the jail. The charges against us were dropped, thankfully, but even so, Uncle Thorin was not happy about it. Me, I was just glad that Hilda hadn’t been seriously hurt and that the men who had attacked Ristil were where they belonged. Uncle Thorin is still being difficult towards Hilda, and to be honest, I cannot stand it!

None of it was her fault, after all. It was inconvenient, sure, but nothing more than that. I have tried to talk to him about it, but when we do talk at all, we only argue with each other and he will no longer discuss the subject with me. I can only hope that Mam can make him see some sense! 

The whole situation is driving me nuts. Fili doesn’t like it either and is caught in the middle of it. When we have spoken about it in our room at night, he agrees with me, but when he is around the other dwarves, he cannot be seen to give me any support at all and must be seen to side with my Uncle. Bofur, of course, blames himself for the whole thing because if he’d not encouraged us to take Hilda into the market place and show her around, she would not have been attacked by those men.

If only Fili and I had been paying proper attention to her, maybe it wouldn’t have happened, but you can fill your whole life with what if’s when awful things happen and it will never change the fact that it had happened. You can only try to fix things after the event has occurred, but some things just aren’t fixable and that needs to be accepted as well. I just hope that this wasn’t one of them…  
   
Gandalf had business to discuss with Uncle Thorin once we got back to Ered Luin, so he was accompanying us. Ristil was traveling with us, also, because Gandalf wanted to question her and the druid woman over the activities of the Necromancer. That was strange business which I must confess that I do not wholly understand. I had thought that much of the druid woman’s background was exaggeration built on events that had occurred years and years before I was born and turned into tavern tales to entertain drunken fools. The fact that some of what I’d heard could be true never even occurred to me until now.  
   
We passed through Hobbiton on the way back and Gandalf brought us to a place called Bog End. I don’t know why it was called that, because it wasn’t anywhere near a blooming Bog, not like that swampy place we passed through on the way to Bree. Unfortunately, the hobbit Gandalf wanted to see wasn’t at home. Gandalf wanted to wait for the hobbit’s return, but Uncle Thorin wanted to press on. He was anxious to get back to Ered Luin as he wanted to see if our people were alright after the difficulties of winter, especially as the errand we’d set out on had taken us far, far longer than we had anticipated.  
   
“From the look of the place, this Boggins looks more like a grocer, than a burglar, Gandalf. And looking after one hobbit -” he looked pointedly at Hilda. “-who can’t take care of themselves is more than enough trouble for us.”  
   
I think that was the final straw for poor Hilda. The hard time that Uncle Thorin had been giving her ever since that incident at Bree was wearing down her confidence. Uncle Thorin is not an easy dwarf to keep on the good side of and over the years, I’ve found that he is only ever quick to forgive Mam, my brother and I – everyone else he gives little slack. In fact, Mam’s probably the only person I know who can tell Uncle Thorin what to do and get away with it.  
   
Hilda, who had been sat on one of the steps with Trotter, got to her feet and started walking down the path, clearly upset. I made to follow her and she stopped to look back at me when she got to the gate.  
   
“I’m sure that he didn’t mean anything by it,” I tried to reassure her. She didn’t reply and just continued through the open gate, with the sheepdog following faithfully at her heels. I followed her through the gate and began to follow her as she started down the road back the way we had come.  
   
“Hilda, please stop,” I said.  
   
Hilda stopped and turned to look at me, on the verge of tears, and trying to fight to keep them back. I back glanced at my Uncle, wanting him to say something to her, but he didn’t. If he had at that moment, then maybe, just maybe things would have turned out differently that day, but that was not to be at all.  
   
“I don’t belong in Ered Luin, Kili,” Hilda said, her voice small. “I’m fed up of being blamed for everything that goes wrong.”  
   
The look she gave me tore my heart in two, not because she wanted to leave, but because she didn’t and was going to anyway because, in her eyes, no one accepted her. I also knew at that moment, there was no talking her out of leaving. Her mind had been firmly made up.  
   
“Where do you intend to go?” I asked.  
   
“Frog Morten, to my family,” she replied. “I’ve thought about it long and hard. It wasn’t easy for me. I belong in the Shire. You must realise that it is for the best.”  
   
Hilda turned to go and as she started walking away, I was about to call her back. What I hadn’t noticed was that Uncle Thorin had descended the path and was standing beside me.  
   
“Let her go, Kili, if that’s what she wants,” Uncle Thorin said. I can’t recall ever being angrier at my Uncle than at that moment, but figured it was not the right moment to argue with him, not in front of everyone.  
   
“I don’t think it is what she wants,” I said, but I didn’t say anything more on the subject. Sometimes, you just can’t. I thought about going after her, but as I made to go, I felt a strong hand grab my shoulder. I should have fought more. I should have pulled away from my Uncle and gone after her, but I did not. Instead, I just watched Hilda walk away until she was out of sight, all the time attempting to hide just how unhappy the whole thing made me.


End file.
